Gender pay gap still firmly in place in building industry: NAWIC

Women working in the building industry are paid on average 17.7% less than their male counterparts, according to figures compiled by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).

For every dollar earned by a man in the construction industry, a woman, doing the same job, will receive just 82.3 cents, says NAWIC’s chief executive officer Sheryle Moon.

A study by Graduate Careers Australia earlier this year, revealed an average gap in starting salaries for graduates of $5,000, but Moon says it is much worse in the building industry.

“How do we explain to talented, educated and skilled young women that they can expect to earn $9,000 less than their equally qualified male colleagues?” she says.

Moon says attracting and retaining more talented women requires a change in the structure of the industry.

“It means encourage flexibility, embracing diversity and investing in attraction. It also means that women receive equal pay.

“Closing the gender pay gap should be an industry priority,” she says.