4903.1 - Managing Caring Responsibilities and Paid Employment, New South Wales, Oct 2000  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 25/05/2001   
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MEDIA RELEASE

May 25, 2001
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
55/2001
NSW men and women: balancing work and care

New South Wales women were more likely than men to make changes to their work commitments to care for other people, according to a report released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Women were more likely to find time for caring responsibilities by working part-time, becoming self-employed or leaving the work force. Men with caring responsibilities were more likely to use arrangements such as paid leave, a rostered day off and flex time.

The report also found that an estimated 5 percent of women aged 18-54, with children under the age of 15, resigned from a job in the last five years because sufficient maternity leave was not available.

Nearly two million people in NSW provided care for someone in the six months to October 2000. This represents 42 percent of people in NSW. Just over half of these carers (53 percent) cared for their children only.

Half of all carers (996,200 people in NSW) were employees in paid employment and of these 40 percent used some kind of working arrangement to help them care. Women were more likely to use working arrangements (48 percent) than men (33 percent). However this difference was more pronounced in the private sector (47 percent compared to 28 percent) than the government or public sector (53 percent compared to 47 percent).

Women were more likely to use part-time work than men (32 percent compared to 4 percent). Men were more likely to use paid leave (40 percent compared to 27 percent), a rostered day off (22 percent compared to 14 percent) and flex time (22 percent compared to 13 percent).

Of those carers who were employees, 12 percent wanted to make more use of work arrangements to care for someone. This was higher for women in the government and public sector (18 percent) compared to women in the private sector (12 percent) or men in the government or public sector (11 percent).

An estimated 307,500 or 15 percent of carers were self employed. Of these 16 percent had started their own business or become a contractor because it made it easier for them to care for someone. This was higher for self employed women (29 percent) than men (9 percent).

For the 573,900 or 29 percent of carers in NSW not looking for paid work 40 percent, were not looking because of their caring responsibilities. This was higher for women (47 percent) than men (12 percent).

Details are in Managing Caring Responsibilities and Paid Employment, New South Wales, 2000 (cat. no. 4903.1) available from ABS bookshops. If you wish to purchase a copy of this publication, contact the ABS Bookshop in your capital city.