The statistics make sobering reading: the gender pay gap in the NSW Public Sector increased last year and is at its highest point in a decade.

The Public Service Commission released its Workforce Profile 2023, revealing the pay gap between women and men in the workforce increased by 1.7 per cent to 6.4 per cent.

This is despite the fact women make up 66.5 per cent of Public Sector workers. In the overall NSW labour force, women hold 47.3 per cent of positions.

“The two biggest contributors to female employment in the Public Sector are from the two largest portfolios: Education (76.7 per cent female) and Health (74.5 per cent female),” read the report. “Together they represented just over 50 per cent of the total headcount in the sector in 2023. In contrast, Transport had the lowest female representation of all portfolios (35.2 per cent).”

The report found recruitment of women was mainly in lower salary bands.

“This shows there is work to do in reversing systematic inequality,” said PSA CPSU NSW Women’s Officer Simone Scalmer.

While this is bad news, the situation for women in the private sector is much

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency released its report in February 2024, finding the nationwide wage gap was more than 20 per cent.

“Australia’s total remuneration average gender pay gap is 21.7 per cent’” reads the report. “For every $1 on average a man makes, women earn 78 cents. Over the course of a year, that difference adds up to $26,393. The 21.7 per cent gender pay gap includes base salary, overtime, bonuses and additional payments.”

The report was compiled using data from organisations with more than 100 employees.