The latest numbers show pay parity between women and men, and strong jobs growth at Australia's media agencies.
Staff numbers in media agencies are up 7.3% to 3,684 in Australia, according to the 2019 MFA (Media Federation of Australia) Industry Census.
Vacancy rates are down to 6.8%, from 9.2% in 2017. If all vacant roles were filled, the industry population would rise to 3,935. Agency tenure is 3.2 years.
The census reveals gender pay parity within the media agencies, with the average female full-time salary 1% higher than that of their male colleagues. The national pay gap is 16.2% in favour of men.
Flexible working is also high on the agenda, with the opportunity to work from home available to 94% of media agency employees, and 7% of the work force employed part-time.
Women make up 60% of media agency personnel and hold 37% of all management roles.
The representation of women in leadership positions within the industry is higher than the average in the Australian workplace. Figures by the Federal Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency show women hold 30.5% of key management positions.
Staff turnover is stable, with regrettable loss at 27.9% and non-regrettable loss at 9%.
Peter Horgan, MFA Chair and CEO of Omnicom MediaGroup, says the annual Census provides an important snapshot of the health of media agencies.
"We’re happy to see the industry tracking so well, particularly at a time of rapid change and increased business pressures," he says.
"The Census also shows that a talent shortage remains in key positions such as implementation, client services, digital and programmatic roles, but I am confident we can work together to address this issue through the continued implementation of training and development programs -- in addition to the recent introduction of the Advertising Industry Labour Agreement.”
MFA chief executive Sophie Madden says it’s pleasing to see member agencies surpassing the national average in the critical areas of flexible working, balanced leadership and pay parity.
"As an industry, we have been benchmarking and focusing on this for a while so it’s great to see the hard work delivering results," she says.
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