New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals that management of Australian businesses is dominated by men to an extent that far outweighs the level of men and women in the total workforce. Given the increased number of women staying in the workforce through their 20s and 30s, the reasons for such a disparity are quickly fading.
In no industry is the share of male managers less than the share of male employees. In some cases the disparity is huge. In the healthcare sector, men account for just 22% of all employees, but for 56% of all managers. Just under half of all employees in the real estate services industry are men, but they make up just over three-quarters of the managers.
Even in the retail industry – which is one of the few where a majority of workers are women – big business managers are more likely to be men than across all industries.
