Two-speed salaries leave women behind, a CommSec analysis finds

THE two-speed Australian economy has morphed into a battle of the sexes, with women losing the fight in the gender pay divide.

Retail

THE two-speed economy has morphed into a battle of the sexes.

And women are losing the fight as the tug of war between the booming male-dominated mining sector and the flagging retail sector, staffed heavily by women, helped to push the gender pay divide to 17.5 per cent in May - the largest gap in 23 years, The Australian reports.

As demand for labour to drive trucks and dig minerals out of the ground pushes up wages for men employed in mining and construction, women employed in casual jobs in retail are having shifts cut back, reducing their wages.

A CommSec analysis of the average wage figures, released yesterday, found average male wages now outstrip average female wages by $12,870 a year, producing the biggest difference in the survey's 28-year history.

"The female wage is 82.5 per cent of the male wage - the smallest proportion in 23 years," said CommSec economist Savanth Sebastian.

Those at the retail coalface are feeling the pinch, with the sector suffering a 1.2 per cent fall in average weekly earnings over the year.

Read more on this story at The Australian.