After a recent night out with the girls a very interesting subject was brought up, one that I found myself contemplating – Who are the new “Bread Winners”? Do you earn more than your partner?
It was an interesting discussion and one that was fuelled by wine, so I was surprised to hear about what they all had to say. I mean it is definitely a sign of the times as a growing number of Australian couples are re arranging their working lives so the woman can take advantage of greater earning potentials.
My friends ranged from their mid-30’s up to late 50’s and yes we all had a say. The Gen X and Y’s already hold the belief that it does not matter who is the bread winner; if you have a career then you should be able to run with it, whereas the Baby Boomers were not so sure.
So does the typical stereo type of the male breadwinner prevail or are modern attitudes changing?
After a bit of research this morning it seems that the average man may still have a few more cents in his pocket, but the rate women are being paid has changed significantly over the last decade.
The pay gap between men and women has quietly shrunk to record lows, especially among younger women. An example I have found is that women in their early 20’s now earn a solid 3.6% more on average than male counterparts. So does this mean that the rise of the female breadwinner is no blip?
You only have to look at super couples like Angelina Jolie who earns around $30million compared to her husband Brad Pitt who only earns around $20million or Therese Rein and Kevin Rudd, or dare I say our former Prime Minster Julia Gillard who was around $450,000+ compared to her partner Tim Mathieson $0!
So ask yourself does it really matter who earns more – should it not be about your life in general where you can attract that right partner, engage with each other, retain that lasting relationship and develop your career. To be very honest my friends
and I settled on “who cares who earns more as money isn’t everything”!
Alicia Sumich – Group
Manager, Business Development