Research at Charles Sturt University (CSU) has exposed higher levels of discrimination against women in regional labour markets compared to metropolitan.

Research by Professor John Hicks and Associate Professor Parikshit Basu from CSU's Faculty of Business and Institute for Land, Water and Society, and Dr Girijasankar Mallik from the University of Western Sydney identified levels of gender discrimination for metropolitan and regional labour markets.

The research examined labour markets in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria to identify levels of discrimination in both weekly incomes and hourly wage rates.

"Most studies on Australian labour market features and outcomes have focused either on issues related to regions or on gender, but rarely have both aspects been considered simultaneously,"  Professor Hicks said.

"Victoria revealed a higher level of discrimination against women than New South Wales. The differences were marginal between regional areas, but substantial between Melbourne and Sydney. At the same time, the difference between Sydney and regional New South Wales was higher than Melbourne and regional Victoria."

The research not only confirms the existence of gender discrimination in major Australian labour markets but also exposes higher degrees of discrimination against women and those in regional labour markets

"Discrimination against women was particularly prominent in weekly incomes as compared to hourly wage rates," Associate Professor Basu said.

"This is mainly due to limited job opportunities and lower ownership of income earning assets by women in regional areas.

"The extent of wage discrimination was significantly lower mainly due to Australia's non-discriminatory wage determination policies and a higher proportion of part-time women workers than men."

As NSW and Victoria account for 58 per cent of the Australian population, the researchers hope the results will have a more general applicability for policy designed to counteract the adverse impact of discrimination by gender throughout metropolitan and regional Australia.