Written by Sophie Babic

Female work participation increases as pay gap narrows 

Australia’s unemployment rate fell to 4.2 per cent in July, down from 4.3 per cent in June, according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The number of women in full-time work grew by 40,000, pushing the female participation rate to a new high of 63.5 per cent. The overall participation rate remained steady at 67 per cent. 

The gender pay gap in average weekly full-time earnings narrowed to 11.5 per cent, equal lowest on record. On average, men earn $2,106.40 per week versus $1,864.10 for women—a $242.30 difference.  

According to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), women, on average, need to work an extra 50 days per year to earn the same as men, culminating in Equal Pay Day on 19 August. This year, WGEA launched a workplace calculator to measure the pay gap at organisations with more than 100 employees. 

Qantas hit with record fine over Fair Work breach 

Qantas has been ordered to pay a $90 million penalty for unlawfully sacking 1,820 ground staff in 2020, marking the largest corporate fine of its kind in Australia. The Federal Court ruling adds to the $120 million compensation package already agreed with the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU), pushing the total cost of the outsourcing decision to more than $200 million. 

Justice Michael Lee described Qantas as showing “the wrong kind of sorry,” questioning whether its remorse was genuine or merely reputational. He criticised the airline’s lack of transparency, attempts to obscure decision-making, and the role of then-CEO, Alan Joyce. The court allocated $50 million of the penalty to the TWU to support future enforcement of workplace laws, with the remaining $40 million yet to be determined. 

The case, which has stretched over five years and multiple appeals, was found to breach the Fair Work Act. Many affected workers remain unemployed, with older staff struggling to re-enter the workforce 

Google penalised for anti-competitive behaviour in the same week as new AI deal  

Google faces a $55 million penalty from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) over a revenue-sharing deal with Telstra and Optus that restricted search competition. Between 2019 and 2021, the telcos only installed Google Search on Android devices in exchange for ad revenue, which the ACCC said was illegal and anti-competitive. 

In the same week, the tech giant has signed its first commercial agreement with Australian Associated Press (AAP) to supply content for its Gemini AI platform. The move marks a major step in securing licensed news for generative AI products, strengthening it’s offering in the local market. While financial terms weren’t disclosed, the deal signals Google’s commitment to paying for media content amid competition from ChatGPT and Perplexity. 

YouTube podcasts rocket, Apple falls behind  

YouTube is catching up fast in podcast listening, now reaching 44 per cent of Australians, up from 30 last year, while Apple Podcasts has dropped to just 20 per cent. YouTube’s surge comes from video podcasts and its search function, with many treating it like background radio. Spotify remains the leader at 58 per cent. 

Overall podcast listening continues to grow, with nearly 10 million Australians tuning in. Around 3 million listen daily, spending one to three hours a week on podcasts. Younger Australians are driving the growth with two-thirds of Millennials and nearly 60 per cent of Gen Z being regular listeners, compared to less than half of Gen X and a quarter of Boomers.  

Short, snappy shows under 15 minutes and long-form episodes over an hour are both gaining ground, but the sweet spot remains between 15–60 minutes. Comedy, news, and true crime are most popular, while health, sport, and culture are also strong.