Charted: Men vs Women Underemployment in Australia

Australia’s labor market produced one of its strongest monthly results in March 2026. 

Full-time employment surged by 52,500 jobs. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%. 

By the headline measures, the Australian jobs market is in good health.

Data Explained, therefore, looked into the seasonally adjusted underemployment data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

It tracks the share of employed people who want more hours than they are getting.

The data showed that female underemployment sits at 7.1% in March 2026, nearly double the headline unemployment figure. 

For Australian women, the labor market problem is not whether they have a job. It is whether the job they have is enough.

• From March 2016 to March 2026, women have consistently carried a heavier underemployment burden than men in Australia.
• The RBA began cutting interest rates in February 2026 after holding at restrictive levels through 2024. This may narrow down the gap.