Unpaid household work affecting women’s careers, | Australian Markets

A new analysis report launched by online comparability web site, Finder, has steered that girls nonetheless bear the brunt of household duties on the expense of their profession growth and financial earnings.

Finder’s State of Women’s Wealth Report for 2025 discovered that, on average, Australian ladies maintain 40 per cent much less web wealth than males, and the analysis reveals that this gender wealth hole is contributed to at a number of completely different life phases, starting in childhood and adolescence and going all the way in which into retirement.

According to the report, ladies taking an average of 9 months’ parental depart miss out on $44,906 in income, based mostly on average full-time wages, and $46,979 in misplaced superannuation by the time they retire; that is in comparison with $6,933 in income and $5,693 in superannuation missed out on by males who additionally take an average of three months’ parental depart.

This gender hole additionally prolonged to within personal households, with ladies accounting for 72 per cent of major unpaid carers and 57 per cent of all unpaid carers. The report additionally indicated that 34 per cent of ladies stated they’re liable for nearly all of the household duties, in comparison with solely 10 per cent of males.

As a consequence of the “unequal split” in home duties, 12 per cent of ladies really feel it has impacted their skill to additional their profession (in comparison with solely six per cent of males) and 34 per cent stated their mental health and stress ranges have been negatively affected (in comparison with 19 per cent of males).

Sarah Megginson, report writer and personal finance professional at Finder, stated the analysis additionally confirmed a clear discrepancy between “perception and reality” after 46 per cent of males respondents imagine the household work is shared equally, in comparison with solely 25 per cent of ladies who agree.

“This imbalance isn’t just about chores – it’s about carrying the mental load for your household, and the impact that has on your wealth and opportunities,” she stated.

“When ladies are tied up with unpaid labour at home, it immediately impacts their incomes potential and long-term financial security. Many males imagine household duties are cut up evenly, however ladies overwhelmingly disagree – and this is actually because a lot of the work ladies do is ‘invisible’.

“This unequal burden has the potential to hold women back from career growth, higher earnings, and greater financial independence.”