Originally published: Mirage News, 21 October 2026
Key Facts:
- Work-related pain starts early: 85% of currently working women have experienced work-related pain in the past 12 months (men 79%), including 92% of working women aged 18 to 24.
- Cost of living is a barrier to recovery: the cost of living has stopped 54% of working women with work-related pain from taking time off to let an injury heal (men 36%), and job security concerns have stopped 46% (men 34%).
- Pushing through: 50% of working women with pain regularly keep working when they feel they should rest (men 37%).
- Managing pain alone: 71% of women with work-related pain have at least one condition that hasn’t been diagnosed or treated (men 57%). 34% rely on over-the-counter medication (men 22%), and only 49% have seen a GP (men 58%).
- Staying silent: 43% of women with pain have never told their employer (men 37%).
- Mental health toll: women with work-related pain are more likely than men to say it often or always contributes to frustration or irritability (29% vs 20%), anxiety (25% vs 18%) and depression or feeling low (21% vs 14%).
- National data: Safe Work Australia figures released last week show women made 42.5% of serious workers’ compensation claims in 2024-25, up 6.2 percentage points in a decade. Women also lose more time per serious claim (a median of 9.0 weeks vs 8.0 for men). Musculoskeletal injuries and diseases make up more than half (53%) of all serious claims.
Cost of living keeps women in pain at work: New survey finds 54% can’t afford to take time off for work-related injury to heal
A new national survey to evaluate the impact of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) or injuries on Australian workers released for national WorkSpace Week 2026 (19-25 October), found that women were more likely than men to experience WMSD pain and injury; were less likely to seek treatment, and more likely to “push through pain”.
The national survey, Impact of Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders or Injuries on Australians 2026 of 1,056 participants, commissioned by the Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) and conducted by independent research firm Pureprofile, found that the gap between women and men reporting WMSD pain or injury has widened since 2023.
The Pureprofile 2026 survey of Australians who’ve worked at some point in their lives (current workers, retirees and others not currently in paid work), found that since 2023, women experiencing WMSD pain or injury increased from 76% to 79% compared to a decrease in men, down from 77% to 73%, while 87% of women currently working reported experiencing WMSD pain or injury compared to 80% of men.
