GENDER- WAGE GAP IN AUSTRALIA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

GENDER- WAGE GAP IN AUSTRALIA - Essay Example Legislative changes have been effected like the 1986’s Federal Discrimination Act and the 1961’s Matrimonial Causes Act. The analysis presented from the Bureau of Statistics of Australia data shows that this nation of Australia has had a persistent gender wage gap. (Cassells, Rebecca, et al, 2009) The data obtained from the Survey of Average Weekly Earnings the years from 1990 to 2009, there was a narrow range of gender wage gap of between 15-17%. Over the period from early year 2005 to early year 2009 the range has been from 15.1-17.0%. (Wright, Tim, 2006) Causes of the predicament of gender wage gap in Australia, even though complex, are inter-linked and are most likely to change over time. These factors can be classified into two major factors; those that can be explained (labour market and human capital factors) and unexplained factors. (fahcsia.gov.au, 2009) Numerous studies have been carried out, and most of these have concentrated on the query whether discriminat ion is the main catalyst of the existing gaps in the wages between male as well as female workers or whether the fundamental catalyst of the gap in wages is the male’s and female’s attainment of human capital. These variances are, however, not easy to separate especially due to the fact that forms by which discrimination maybe interlinked with other factor’s attainment. ... Human capital is defined by the book as the skills in entirety as well as the experience that an individual puts into an employment which are relevant to that employment. It encompasses all the qualifications as well as training given by employers and also the experience gained from previous experience from the market. (Miller, Riel, 1996, p22) In those studies that have been carried out of gender wage gap, the measurement of human capital is mostly measured via formal education attained as well as the number of years of work experience. Some of these studies also make an inclusion of other variables to like the utilisation of the training provided by the employer. The component of education is usually captured in virtually entire studies of gender wage gap, mostly through the usage of several dummy variables that take the highest education level that has been completed. For instance, high school completion, bachelor degree or post school training. (Cassells, Rebecca, et al, 2009) Al so included, is the study field as one of the variables with the gender wage gap model being applied. This is due to the fact that wages vary with the study field. There is also a significant segregation in gender in the fields of study in post-secondary education. Most of the conclusions that have been drawn from the studies carried out in the nation of Australia of labour market rigidities and discrimination are that returns gained from education by females are from a generic point of view below those of their male counterparts. This is in spite of the ladies having a bit of higher education attainment. Additional schooling according to the journal creates openings to better job