MEDIA RELEASE
27 August 2013	Embargo: 11.30 am (Canberra Time)	150/2013

More women than men in Australia continue to work in jobs that provide less security and stability, according to a new report released today by the Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Today's release of Gender Indicators, Australia brings together a variety of ABS and non-ABS data to look at the differences between men and women, and how these differences are changing over time.

ABS Director of Living Conditions Statistics, Caroline Daley said that in November 2012, 22 per cent of female employees and 17 per cent of male employees were in casual work without the stability of leave entitlements - a situation that remains largely unchanged since November 2008.

'This difference between men and women was apparent across all age groups up to 64 years of age, and for 8 out of 19 industry divisions', she said.

Some of the lowest paid industries in Australia such as Accommodation and Food Services, Arts and Recreation Services and Retail trade tend to employ the highest proportion of female employees without paid leave entitlements (61 per cent, 48 per cent and 34 per cent respectively).

'It is concerning that 23 per cent of male and 30 per cent of female employees who are lone parents with dependent children, are casual employees without paid leave entitlements'.

'However, I should note, some of these employees might be attracted by work flexibility which enable them to balance paid work with family, study or other activities'.

'In contrast, only 11 per cent of male and 20 per cent of female employees in couple relationships with dependent children are working without leave entitlements', she said.

More information can be found in Gender Indicators (cat. no. 4125.0) available for free download from the ABS website (www.abs.gov.au)

Media notes:

• When reporting ABS data you must attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.

Selected Gender Indicators - Australian labour force conditions and earnings

		Males			Females
	Nov 2008	Nov 2012		Nov 2008	Nov 2012
	%	%		%.	%
Employees, without leave entitlements X 20-74 years 17 17 23 22 Age groups (years) 20-44 18 19 25 24 45-54 11 11 19 18 55-64 17 15 23 21 65-74 42 36 50 31 Couple with dependent children 10 11 25 20 Lone parent with dependent children 28 23 32 30

		Males			Females
	2008-09	2012-13		2008-09	2012-13
	%	%		%.	%
Underemployment rate (20-74 years) X 4.5 4.8 7.9 8.5 Age groups (years) 20-24 8.7 9.6 11.7 13.6 25-34 4.5 4.5 6.8 7.5 35-44 3.7 3.6 8.5 8.8 45-54 3.5 4.0 7.9 8.2 55-64 4.4 5.0 6.0 7.2 65-74 4.0 4.5 2.5 4.0 Parents with dependent children Youngest child 0-5 years 3.2 3.3 9.1 8.7 Youngest child 6-14 years 3.3 3.6 10.3 11.2
		Males			Females
	May 2006	May 2012		May 2006	May 2012
	$	$		$	$
Earnings (21+ years)(a) X Employees, non-managerial adult hourly ordinary time cash earnings 26.31 29.70 24.08 26.90 Employees, adult weekly total cash earnings 1,075.62 1,189.00 773.98 852.00

(a) In 2011-12 dollars, adjusted using changes in the Consumer Price Index.