Casuals workers' pay gap the highest on record: unions

Casual workers receive less money per hour than their permanent counterparts despite pay loadings. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Australia's casual workers are getting paid significantly less than their permanent counterparts, with the hourly pay gap reaching an all-time high.

Casuals generally earn $11.59 less per hour than permanent workers, or an hourly rate of $28.95 against $40.54, a pay gap of 28 per cent, Australian Council of Trade Unions research shows.