Home topics news via pexels News News Australia’s gender pay gap won’t close until 2054 without committed action Yajush Gupta February 2, 2026 Australia’s gender pay gap is costing $1.26 billion weekly in lost earnings. KPMG’s Dorothy Hisgrove explains workforce segregation and caring responsibilities drive the gap. What’s happening: Australia’s gender pay gap is costing the economy an estimated $1.26 billion a week in equivalent earnings, based on new analysis of HILDA data by KPMG Australia. Why this matters: Without committed action, the gender pay gap won’t close before 2054, affecting economic growth and workplace equality across all sectors. The types of jobs women and men do, plus unequal distribution of hours spent on care, family and workforce participation between women and men have been found to be major contributing factors to Australia’s persistent gender pay gap. The fifth edition of KPMG Australia’s She’s Price(d)less report , prepared with Diversity Council Australia and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, offers fresh insights for employers, employees and policy makers on what is driving the persistent and pervasive gender pay gap. The report identifies key drivers as unequal distribution of hours spent on care, family and workforce participation, as well as the types of jobs women and men engage in, known as workforce gender segregation. Senior women hit hardest The analysis found that as women’s level of responsibility in the workforce increased, they experienced a higher gender pay gap. Women experienced an 18% pay gap at higher income levels compared to little or