Australia’s gender divide is holding back the economy
Australia’s gender-segregated workforce is deepening skills shortages, and outdated views on women’s work are making the crisis worse.
If you’ve recently tried to build a house, find an electrician or access aged care services for a loved one, it won’t come as a shock that Australia is facing a worker shortage across a number of key industries.
From construction to the care economy, teaching to truck driving, employers are struggling to find the workers they need, leading to frustrating wait times and higher prices for services Australians rely on.
Data released today by Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) helps explain why we’re facing these shortages — and why the outdated, sexist attitudes towards women in the workplace on display by the Liberal Party last week will only make the problem worse.
According to JSA’s report into gendered jobs, work and pay, only 21% of occupations in Australia could be considered gender balanced, placing us among the most gender-segregated labour markets in the world.
