Gender pay gap remains at 3% in 2021 MFA Census
The Media Federation of Australia 2021 industry census was published this morning, completed by all MFA member agencies in September 2021.
The findings reported media agencies employee numbers rose in 2021 by 19.1%, with 4,412 people now employed in the media agency space across Australia. The MFA said this is higher than any figure previously recorded.
Despite the increase, the industry also reported high vacancy rates of 12%, double the “normal levels”, according to the industry body. Last year, the MFA census found 3,703 people were employed by media agencies in 2020, down from 3,902 in 2019, prior to the pandemic.
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Women in the industry occupy 43% of management roles, which fell by one percent since 2020. However, the number remains disproportionate as women occupy 61% of total roles in media agencies. The gender pay gap remained at 3% this year, no change on 2020. The MFA reports that this is above the Australian average of 14%.
Last year the 3% pay gap was reported in the Census, after the pay gap was 0% in 2019. The MFA put the emergence of the figure down to the “the concentration of men in SEO, strategy, and creative services roles”.
As reported in late 2021, the number of women in management roles within the industry remains higher than the Australian workforce average of 32.5%.
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Director of people at the MFA, Linda Wong said: “The initial contraction in the media agency population in response to the Covid-19 pandemic is well behind us, with the biggest growth in population ever recorded by the MFA Census in 20-plus years of measurement.”
“The pressing challenge for the industry now is the lack of talent to fill positions, compounded by the global talent shortage. In 2022, I expect our industry’s focus to remain on recruitment and retention, and ensuring all new recruits are supported to thrive and grow.”
MFA CEO Sophie Madden
MFA CEO Sophie Madden said that the Census is an important and accurate snapshot of the health of media agencies, and that the body is happy to see the industry tracking “well after two particularly challenging years”.
“The Census reinforces the severity of the global talent shortage, but I am confident we can work together to address this pressing issue through training and development and supporting our people, and improved ways of working.”
Employees with less than five years of experience now make up 45% of the industry, with 27% having six to ten years and 15% have 11 to 15 years of experience. The rise in employees with under five years industry experience comes after a temporary pause in hiring entry-level staff in the first year of the pandemic.
The overall average industry experience declined as a result, to 8.2 years, from 8.7 in 2020, while the average agency tenure sits at 3.6.
Sydney remains the key market for media agencies, with 56.6% of the industry located in the nation’s largest market, followed by 29% in Melbourne.
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Calum Jaspan was news editor at Mumbrella, based in Melbourne. He was also the producer and host of the Mumbrellacast. He left Mumbrella in May 2023.
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This is an incredibly inspiring result that our industry should be proud of. This is great progress across the board for equality.
One area of interest would be for agencies to consider more aged workers or those with over 15 years experience. I know that as a woman over 50, last count, I was one of only 1% of workers in the industry still working despite many being at the top of their game. That old belief that it is about money that pushes people out is not true for many workers in fact. Many older workers would happily work for equivalent salaries if there were equivalent career opportunities and it meant retaining a career as opposed to being unemployable. That’s another story to those who are experienced and should be valued for the outcomes, efficiencies and effectiveness that the time sheet model doesn’t enable.
All the same – the big thing about this report is that it is going to do more good for the industry by benchmarking what good progress looks like, keeping the industry accountable more so than other reports just released that are harmful and shaming men in the industry needlessly. Good stuff @MFA
Seems like the media sector of the advertising industry and the media networks are improving and a good example to other agency types too.
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