Call to action: National data reinforces urgency of closing pay gaps in care sectors

A new workforce analysis from Jobs and Skills Australia highlights entrenched gender inequality across Australia’s labour market including early childhood education and care (ECEC) with First Nations women experiencing the largest gender pay gaps.

Released as part of a new three-part series on gender economic equality, Paper 1: New Perspectives on Old Problems – Gendered Jobs, Work and Pay introduces the Gender Segregation Intensity Scale and provides the most detailed occupational gender pay gap data ever released at the national level.

The findings confirm what many in the ECEC sector have long known: occupational segregation remains deeply entrenched, and progress towards economic equality has stalled in many areas. According to the report, gendered occupational segregation has barely shifted in 15 years, despite policy and public focus on pay equity and workforce participation.

The analysis covers more than 600 occupations and includes intersectional insights showing that First Nations women face the highest gender pay gaps across all demographics. These findings come at a time when the ECEC workforce, which is overwhelmingly female, continues to call for fairer wages, stronger career pathways and better recognition for the essential work educators perform.

While the report notes that Australia’s national gender pay gap is narrowing at a macro level, it reveals a far more complex picture when broken down into individual roles and industries. In many feminised sectors, including care and education, pay disparities remain significant.

The release of this paper fills a critical evidence gap, providing new tools and frameworks to understand how gender continues to shape Australia’s labour market. For ECEC leaders, policymakers and advocates, it offers a valuable opportunity to push for more targeted, structural reforms that centre equity, inclusion and workforce sustainability.

The next paper in the series, Education and Training Divides: Gendered Skills, Pathways and Outcomes will explore how education and training systems contribute to ongoing gender disparities, with the final instalment expected to offer recommendations to accelerate progress toward gender economic equality.

To explore the full findings or access the data dashboard, visit Jobs and Skills Australia – New Perspectives on Old Problems.