The implications of Australian women’s precarious employment for the later pension age

Abstract

The increase in pension eligibility ages in Australia, as elsewhere, throws into relief the consequences of gender inequality in employment. Because of career histories in lower paid and more insecure employment, a higher percentage of women than men are dependent on the age pension rather than on superannuation or savings and investments, and so will be disproportionately affected by deferred access. Yet, fewer women than men hold the types of ‘good jobs’ that will sustain them into an older age. Women are more likely to be sequestered in precarious employment, with reduced job quality and a greater potential for premature workforce exit. This article counterposes macro-level data drawn from national cross-sectional labour force statistics and the longitudinal Household Income and Labour Dynamics Australia survey, with case study analysis, based on interviews with 38 women in midlife insecure jobs, in order to identify the types of life course and labour market barriers that contribute to women’s reliance on the pension and the systemic disadvantage that will render them particularly vulnerable to any further erosion of this safety net. The analysis moves between this empirical evidence and a discussion, drawing on the theoretical literature, of the failure in equal opportunity endeavours over recent decades and what this means for later life workforce participation for women. JEL Codes: D91, J16, J71, J88

Careers in the Australian sex industry: Exploring life narratives through metaphor

“…Participants in this study had primarily worked in health care, hospitality and retail prior to entering the sex industry. This pattern reflects broader gendered employment patterns in Australia where work is highly segregated and women are disproportionately employed in these sectors (Sheen, 2017: 5).…”

The End of the Retirement “Age”: How the New World of Work Is Transforming the Old World of Retirement

“…The End of the Retirement "Age": How the New World of Work Is Transforming the Old World… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92273 control over the work process itself causes stress and alienation reducing potential for continuity for the long term as many studies have shown [29][30][31][32]. It may be the case that there is overall a greater proportion of older people in the workforce now but this does not mean that there will be a strong capacity for ongoing employment well into later life.…”

The distinctive features of women in the Australian bankruptcy system: An empirical study

“…Compared with single fathers, single mothers in Australia are more likely to be caring for children under five, who require the most intensive and time‐consuming care (ABS : 2; Bradbury ). They are also more likely to be precariously employed, in roles that offer less flexibility, fewer leave entitlements and less security of tenure (Huntley ; Sheen ). In this context, it seems likely that the single mothers in the sample were particularly likely to have trouble finding and maintaining paid work.…”