Dozens of Australian businesses have gender pay gaps above 50%, landmark data reveals

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency data shows some of the country’s biggest and most recognisable employers have gender pay gaps of 30-40% in favour of men over women. Composite: Victoria Hart / Guardian Design/Getty images

Dozens of Australian companies have gender pay gaps of more than 50%, according to landmark data released for the first time by the government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

The individual gender pay gaps at nearly 5,000 businesses across Australia – every private company with 100 employees or more – were published on Tuesday with the explicit aim of attempting to reduce the gender pay gap.