WITH today (8 September) being national Equal Pay Day, it is important for resource employers to understand where our industry sits on pay equality in order to continue making important progress toward closing this gap.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the resource industry (defined as “mining” by the ABS)  is the highest paying industry for both male and female full time employees.

Women working full time earn on average more than $800 per week than the all-industries average for women. However, a pay gap in our industry still exists.

Full time male resource employees earn on average $2659.50 per week (excluding overtime and bonuses) compared to $2162.60 for full time women. This equates to an 18.7% pay gap – slightly higher than the national average of 16.2%.

Importantly, the resource industry is making some progress toward closing this inequality, with the pay gap as of May 2016 (18.7%) being 0.9 percentage points better than May 2015 (19.6%).

Here is how the resource industry stacks up to other sectors of the Australian economy, including those considered “male-dominated”, as of May 2016:

• Construction: 19.3% (1.3% worse than 2015)
• Manufacturing: 15.5% (a big improvement of 3.1% since 2015)
• Electricity, gas, water and waste services: 12%
• Professional, scientific and technical services: 23.5%

Interestingly, the worst performing sectors on pay equality include some generally considered to be among the most diverse in workforce composition, including:

• Financial and insurance services: 30.2%
• Rental, hiring and real estate: 24.6%
• Health care and social assistance: 23.5%

The best performing sectors are currently public administration and safety (7.1% pay gap) and administrative and support services (9.2%).

For information on the gender pay gap, including key statistics, click here to read a recent report by the Workforce Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).

On Equal Pay Day, WGEA is urging all employers to take action to address gender pay gaps in their organisation and support women’s participation in the workforce and progression into senior and non-traditional roles.

How can AREEA help with your gender diversity practices?

As the facilitator of the Australian Women in Resources Alliance (AWRA), AREEA offers several key initiatives to assist resource employers with their gender diversity practices.

AWRA e-Mentoring: Whether you are suitable to be a mentor or a mentee, your next professional development opportunity could involve someone you’ve never met! AWRA e-Mentoring offers an enriching professional experience with unique flexibility. Play your part and be rewarded.

2016 Gender Workshops: Supported by Biz Better Together and facilitated by resource industry employer group AREEA, the Australian Women in Resources Alliance (AWRA) is this November hosting three unique half-day workshops aimed at “Enhancing Workplace Diversity” in Australia’s resource industry.

For more information about the AWRA program and how we can help you close your organisation’s gender pay gap, contact AREEA today on 1800 627 771.