The Wages and Ages: Mapping the Gender Pay Gap by Age report by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency revels that men on average out-earn women across all working age groups.  Prof Michelle Grattan, in her analysis in The Conversation, points out that at every age group less than 50% of women were working full time in 2021, and in fact women are not working full-time during most of their working lives.  This holds them back from management positions and accentuates the pay gap.

The divergence in working patterns between men and women starts from age 35, when men are mainly working full time and women mainly working part time or casually. After 35 women are more than twice as likely to work part time and casually than men.

The WGEA found that, although women complete higher education and enter the labour market at a higher proportion than men, they are still substantially less likely to work full-time across all age groups and less likely to reach the highest earning levels.  To attract and retain talent from diverse backgrounds and of all ages, employers must offer flexible working arrangements, be creative about what it takes to be a leader and create part-time management roles.