The gender pay gap shrank at the fastest rate in 20 years, the latest HILDA survey shows, as men spent more time looking after children and doing housework and care economy jobs boomed.

After women’s wages stagnated at 78¢ to 79¢ to the dollar compared to men between 2016 and 2021, in 2021 they earned 86¢ for every dollar taken home by men.