Australian Bureau of Statistics
Celebrating the International Year of Statistics 2013

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ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF THE COMMUNICATION SERVICES INDUSTRIES

The communication services industry encompasses telecommunication services, and postal and courier services. This industry comprises the Communication Services Division of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC).

The contribution of an industry to the overall production of goods and services in an economy is measured by gross value added (GVA). Information on the relationship between industry GVA and gross domestic product (GDP) is provided in the Industry Structure and Performance chapter. The chain volume measure of GVA by the communication services industry increased by 3% from 2002-03 to 2003-04, following an increase of 6% for the year to 2002-03 (table 23.1). This annual growth is in line with the increase of 3% in 2001-02 but well below the annual growth experienced in the late-1990s, which was generally around 10%.

23.1 COMMUNICATION SERVICES INDUSTRY, Gross value added
		Units	1998-99	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04
At current prices
	Value	$m	18,087	18,159	18,799	19,163	20,351	21,943
	Change from previous period	%	5.4	0.4	3.5	1.9	6.2	7.8
Chain volume measures(a)
	Value	$m	17,564	18,439	18,587	19,142	20,351	20,986
	Change from previous period	%	10.9	5.0	0.8	3.0	6.3	3.1
(a) The reference year for chain volume measures is 2002-03. Source: Australian System of National Accounts, 2003-04 (5204.0).

Total factor income is that part of the cost of producing the GDP which consists of gross payments to factors of production (labour and capital) and is equal to the sum of compensation of employees, gross operating surplus and gross mixed income. Examination of the total factor income for the communication services industry shows changes in the share of income accruing to labour (i.e. compensation of employees) compared with the share attributed as accruing to capital (i.e. gross operating surplus and gross mixed income). Graph 23.2 shows how the shares accruing to labour and capital for the communication services industry have changed since 1997-98.