WiSER projects

WiSER is currently undertaking several research projects in the following areas:

Mid-life women's involvement in paid work

This report assembles some statistics on the characteristics of the involvement of mid life women in paid employment. It provides data from several ‘developed’ economies on employment and unemployment rates, the incidence of part time work and average working hours, and levels and types of education. Comparisons are made throughout with the employment patterns of mid life men and younger women. Some tentative measures of wages are provided, together with additional details on the occupations and industries that feature in the employment of mid life Australian women.

The motivations for the preparation of this work include a perception that too little is currently known about the working lives of mid life women. Also important is an understanding that, in coming years this group of women – and their employment experiences – will become increasingly important, as the baby boomer generation moves into this age group and as pressures to extend working lives increase. It is hoped that this early attempt to assemble a set of measures of employment experiences will provide a basis for ongoing research and policy work on improving understandings of women’s employment mid life.

For more information about this project, please contact WiSER

The effects of WorkChoices on women

WiSER has undertaken, in partnership with the Office for Women's Policy, a project that examines the good, bad and ugly of WorkChoices and its effect on women in the workforce. The results from this project has contributed to a national report compiled by Barbara Pocock at the University of South Australia which was launched on 12 August.

The Western Australian component of that report, detailing the research undertaken by WiSER within the community was finalised on 10 August.

Read WiSER's findings here