The gender pay gap is closing three times faster under the current government, a new report has found.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Minding the Gap report, released on Tuesday (19 November 2025) to mark Equal Pay Day, attributed accelerated progress on closing the pay gap to new work rights and higher wages in sectors like aged care.
Equal pay is yet to be achieved in Australia, but the current gender pay gap of 11.5 per cent is the lowest on record.
Since 2022, the gender pay gap has been closing at a rate of 1.3 per cent per year, compared to 0.4 per cent under successive Coalition governments.
The gap means women still effectively work 42 days for ‘free’ compared to men. This figure is used to determine Equal Pay Day – this year falling on Tuesday, 19 November.
