The Economics of the Gender Pay Gap

""

Recent public debate reveals widespread lack of community understanding about pay equity “what it is, why it exists, and what can be done to address it” as well as a tendency to minimise or explain away the gender pay gap in Australia through reference to ‘women’s choices’.

In mid 2016, in conjunction with the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), DCA sought the assistance of KPMG Australia to update work they did in this field back in 2009 and thus help improve understanding of the underlying causes of the gender pay gap.  

A new report released on 28 October 2016 entitled She’s Price(d)less: The economics of the gender pay gap uses structured econometric modelling to determine the factors that underpin the gender pay gap, and to what extent they contribute. 

The report demonstrates that pay inequity isn’t just a social justice issue – it’s an economic imperative. Case studies in the Executive Companion highlight the excellent work that Australian organisations are already doing to tackle pay inequality in their own teams, organisations and industry sectors.

DCA is proud to be part of this conversation and hopes that this report will be the impetus to closing the gap as soon as possible.


Addendum: Revision to 2016 Results

August 2019

KPMG was recently engaged by the Diversity Council of Australia (DCA) and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) to document the latest-available evidence on the nature and magnitude of drivers of the gender pay gap in Australia. This analysis builds on this 2016 report, Shes Price(d)less: The Economics of the Gender Pay Gap.

In preparing the 2019 report, available here, an error was identified in the way that KPMG presented the results for part-time employment and industrial and occupational segregation in the 2016 report. The methodology and aggregate results remain unchanged.

The revised presentation of results is presented as an addendum attached to the report below.   

Download the full report (with addendum)

Want to use our research?

If you wish to use any content contained in this report, please contact DCA at research@dca.org.au, to seek consent and come under our Terms of Use and Privacy Statement.

Where you wish to refer to our research, it must be correctly attributed to DCA.

  • Formal attribution to DCA is required where references to DCA research material are in a written format.
  • Citing DCA as a source will suffice where the reference is made in a verbal format.

Suggested citation: KPMG. She’s Price(d)less: The Economics of the Gender Pay Gap, Update report prepared for Diversity Council Australia (DCA) and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), Sydney, KPMG, October 2016.

To request an accessible alternative format of any document, please email admin@dca.org.au. Please let us know which format you need and for which document. While DCA will do it’s best to provide you with the alternative you need, please be aware that not all formats may be available.