Women are now the major breadwinners in one quarter of Australian families, the latest AMP.NATSEM report has revealed.
The 34th edition of the report, titled Modern Family, used data from a variety of sources, including the 2011 Australian Census, to explore the changing shape of Australian families. It found that more than half a million dual-earner households have a female as their primary income earner, which according to AMP represented an increase of 140,000 households over the last 10 years. Similarly, the proportion of families with both parents working has also risen dramatically, from 40% in the 1980s to 58% today.
The report also revealed that women were more likely to be the primary breadwinners in low and middle-income families. Only 17% of high income families had a female breadwinner.
One of the key drivers behind the increase in women taking on the primary income role appears to be the global financial crisis (GFC). AMP said the number of female breadwinners rose across all income levels during the GFC from 22% to 24%.
… the proportion of families with both parents working has also risen dramatically
Another contributing factor may be that women are having children later in life. AMP’s report found the average age of first time mothers in Australia is now 29 years old, compared to just 25 years of age in the 80s. Almost one in four babies are born to mums aged over 35.
NATSEM Principal Research Fellow and lead author of the report, Rebecca Cassells, said young people are no longer expected to marry in their early twenties, in a religious ceremony, and have three or four kids cared for at home by the mother while the husband heads off to work.
“Today’s modern family usually starts with a couple living together before marriage, perhaps deciding to delay having children, and when they do start a family, while it’s more common for women to be the primary carer, most mothers will quickly return to work, at least part-time,” Ms Cassells said.
“Given the enormous changes that have occurred over the past century, we can only begin to imagine how families will evolve in coming years,” she added.
