Lifecycle working choices of women

Research Project

Background

Despite strong growth in female participation in the labour market over the last few decades, there continues to be a significant participation gap between men and women, particularly for specific age groups. And, relative to other OECD countries, workforce participation in Australia appears to be particularly low for mothers and women over the age of fifty. The Commission's recent 'Ageing' report pointed to the need to explore the reasons behind such participation gaps as a way of gaining insights into the potential for policy changes to improve participation rates and thereby offset, in part, the slower growth of the labour force associated with ageing.

Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study are to:

• identify the extent of any gaps in the labour force participation rates of Australian females compared with other OECD countries;
• explore the reasons behind these gaps with a particular emphasis on mothers and women over the age of fifty; and
• identify the significance of government policies in driving observed differences in participation rates.