Gender based impacts of COVID-19: Victoria’s opening up favours male over female jobs

Gender equality
Written By Clare Maxwell

Summary

Equity Economics has delivered new analysis that confirms the COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on women.

Across Australia women account for 53 per cent of all job losses, but in Victoria that number is much higher at 61 per cent of all job losses. Industries that have been unaffected by the lockdown, such as construction, are dominated by men, employing 169,000 women and 340,000 men. The timing of opening industries will continue this trend.

The delay in returning to work for many women risks long term scarring from longer periods of unemployment. This scarring effect has been shown to reduce lifetime earnings, which for women are already on average only two-thirds of men.

Federal and State governments should address this disproportionate impact by focusing on support for industries that employ women, including mental health, aged care, child care, education and retail.

Read the full report

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Clare Maxwell
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