Women in the Workforce

The Australian workforce is defined as those people aged 15 years and over engaged in full-time or part-time employment and those officially recognized as being unemployed. Often the 'hidden unemployed' may not be included in such a definition. The hidden unemployed are the people who would work if there was a job available but for some reason, such as, disillusionment or discouragement, are not actively looking for employment. This usually occurs in times of high unemployment. …

…by 1998, for example, 31 percent of all computer programmers, and 28 percent of all computer systems analysts and scientists were women In 2000 almost 63 million women, aged 16 and over, were employed, representing 47 percent of the total workforce. 60 percent of all women over 16 years of age were employed. Obviously sex discrimination has come a long way, but its not there yet, women are still discriminated against in the workforce whether it be lower wages or not being offered promotions.