Percentage of NSW women in work rises 5 per cent since 2014

The number of women participating in the workforce continues to increase, with New South Wales experiencing the greatest change according to the latest employment data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The percentage of women not in the labour force (NILF) has been steadily decreasing for the last few years, with the average percentage across Australia dropping from 42 per cent in January 2014 to 39 per cent in December 2018.

Consequently, during this period the percentage of work-age women employed in part-time or full-time work has been increasing. This increase has been seen particularly in New South Wales, where the percentage of women employed has increased from 53 per cent in January 2014, to 58 per cent in December 2018. Queensland and Victoria have seen increases similar to to the Australia average, with 55-56 per cent of work-age women employed in 2014 rising to 58 per cent in 2018.

As the number of women in the workforce increases, the demand for childcare services also rises, as additional care is required for children who would otherwise be cared for at home. This increase in demand is likely to affect both children in long day care, and older children requiring outside school hours care.

The next release of employment data is expected from the ABS on 21 February 2019.