That Australian women earn less than Australian men is well-known. The latest calculation put the gap – the extent to which the average female full-time wage is less than the average male full-time wage – at 13.4%.
Women are also less likely to be employed than men, about 14% less likely, in part because women give birth to and are more likely to care for children.
What is less well known is that women are 32% less likely to work full-time than men and have an average commute that is 20% shorter.
Could women’s shorter hours (even when working full-time), and shorter commutes be part of the reason for the gender gaps in wages and employment?