Archived content. See ABS Website for latest information and statistics
ABS Home

Census home > News & media > Media resources > Media releases

Media release –
Victoria

New 2011 Census data reveals more about Victoria

30 October 2012 | VIC/46

New data from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing announced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today has added to the snapshot of Victoria revealed by the release of initial Census results in June.

ABS Victoria Regional Director Sam Thomas said the latest release of 2011 Census data marked an important time for the ABS, Australia, and Victoria.

“2011 Census data released earlier this year has already shed some light on who we are as a nation and a state, and where we live,” Mr Thomas said.

“The latest tranche of Census data now paints a picture of what we do and how we live, helping to further shape Victoria over the next five years, and providing a brighter future for our state.

“In particular, Census data provides a valuable insight into the growth and development of Victoria, our people and our workforce.”

Today’s second Census release provides data on the following topics at all geographic levels, from Australia and states and territories, to capital cities and suburbs:
  • Labour force as reported
  • Hours worked
  • Industry and occupation
  • Method of travel to work
  • Highest level of education and fields of study
  • Place of work
  • State and territory migration.

Mr Thomas encouraged everyone to make use of Australia’s richest statistical resource, which provides a comprehensive snapshot of Victoria and all areas within it.

“Census data is available free online and can be used for a wide range of purposes. Our range of new, easy-to-use tools, including QuickStats, makes searching Census data quick and easy,” he said.

Data from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing is now available on the ABS website. Visit www.abs.gov.au/census.

Key second release Census data for Victoria is detailed below.

2011 Census of Population and Housing second release data – Victoria

Labour force and hours worked

The latest figures show Victoria’s total labour force consisted of 2,675,477 people aged 15 years and over at the time of the last Census on 9 August 2011, an increase of 270,872 people from 2,404,605 in 2006.

Consistent with its total population, Victoria had the second largest number of full-time employed people and people who reported they were not in the labour force.

More than half (59.2 per cent) of Victoria’s labour force reported being employed full-time, with 64.6 per cent of this workforce male. In comparison, of the 29.6 per cent of Victoria’s labour force who reported being employed part-time, 68.1 per cent were female, a drop from 69.2 per cent in 2006.

In 2011, one third (33.3 per cent) of the population aged 15 years and over reported not being in the labour force compared to 38.6 per cent in 2006. This represented an increase of 121,222 people who included retirees, students, and stay at home parents.

Even though the proportion of people who reported being unemployed stayed the same between 2006 and 2011, at 3.3 per cent, there was an increase of 14,687 people.

There has also been a decline in the proportion of people who reported working 40 hours or more the week before Census night, from 47.3 per cent in 2006, to 44.9 per cent in 2011, a decrease of 2.4 percentage points.

Industry

Consistent with the national trend, Victoria has experienced a shift in its primary employment industry, with more people now reporting employment as doctors, nurses, dentists, physiotherapists, child care workers and aged care providers in the Health Care and Social Assistance industry than in the traditional Manufacturing and Retail industries.

The Victoria Health Care and Social Assistance industry accounts for 11.6 per cent of the state’s employment, an increase of 1.2 percentage points since 2006, while Manufacturing, which was the primary employment industry in Victoria in 2006, is now the third most reported industry of employment. It accounted for 10.7 per cent in 2011, a 1.9 percentage point decrease since 2006.

Retail Trade (10.8 per cent) was the second most reported industry of employment in Victoria in 2011.

Occupation

In terms of occupation, the Victorian population was still working in the same top five occupations as in 2006: Professionals (22.3 per cent); Clerical and Administrative Workers (14.4 per cent); Technicians and Trades Workers (13.9 per cent); Managers (13.2 per cent); and Sales Workers (9.7 per cent).

However, Professionals showed the largest proportionate increase since 2006, from 20.8 per cent to 22.3 per cent, reflecting a faster rate of growth compared to other occupations. There was a slight decline in the proportion of people reporting the occupations of Clerical and Administrative Workers, Managers, Technician and Trades Workers and Sales Workers.

Of those who reported working as Technicians and Trades Workers, 84.8 per cent were males, while 74.9 per cent of those who reported their occupation as Clerical and Administrative Workers were females.

Method of travel to work

The latest Census data further revealed that people in Victoria still prefer to travel to work by car than any other means, with 66 per cent of the population reporting this as their primary method of travel to work (either as the driver or passenger).

While the household car is still the preferred method of travel to work for most people, there is an increasing proportion of people travelling by train, up from four per cent in 2006 to 4.8 per cent (or an increase of 30,166 people) in 2011.

There has also been a small decline in the proportion of people who choose to walk to work, with only 3.3 per cent of people in 2011 compared to 3.5 per cent in 2006, reflecting a slower rate of growth compared to other methods of travel.

Highest level of education

Turning to education, there has been an increase in the proportion of people in Victoria undertaking additional studies, with increases in the number of people who reported completing Postgraduate and Bachelor Degrees, Graduate Diplomas and Graduate Certificates, Advanced Diplomas and Diplomas, and Certificates III/IV.

In 2011, there was a significant increase in number of people who reported completing a Postgraduate Degree. This increased from 108,122 in 2006 to 170,380.

There was significant growth in those who reported completing a Bachelor Degree as their highest level of education, from 502,514 in 2006 to 641,216 in 2011.

There has also been significant increase in number of people who reported completing a Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate as their highest level of education. This increased from 74,048 in 2006 to 95,353 in 2011.

Fields of study

Management and Commerce (17.8 per cent) and Engineering and Related Technologies (14.5 per cent) were the two most common reported fields of study, as they were in 2006. However, there has been an increase in the proportion of people who reported Management and Commerce related studies (two percentage points), and a decline in those who reported Engineering and Related Technologies studies (0.9 percentage point).

There have been increases in the proportions of people studying both Society and Culture (up from 9.2 per cent in 2006 to 10.6 per cent in 2011) and Health (up from 8.5 per cent to 9.1 per cent).

State and territory migration

Internal migration is the movement of people from one place of residence to another within Australia. These figures are traditionally used for infrastructure and community planning.

The latest figures from the 2011 Census have shown a continued decline in the proportion of people in Victoria who moved within the state in the five years prior to Census night. This is consistent with the national trend.

There has been continued gradual growth in the number of people who maintain their usual address in the five years prior to Census night in the State.

The proportion of people who have moved to Victoria in the five years prior to Census night from interstate has remained steady at eight per cent, and the proportion of people moving to Victoria from overseas has jumped markedly from 12 per cent in 2006 to 16.9 per cent in 2011.
Of the Victorian residents who moved in the year prior to the 2011 Census, most moved within the State (80.6 per cent), while 10.6 per cent of people had moved to Victoria from overseas in the year prior to 2011.

The Census collects information on where people lived, one year ago and five years ago prior to Census night. This information only reflects movements which coincide with these particular points in time, even though there may have been multiple movements during this period.

Media resources

Media releases

Media fact sheets

Images

Archived content. See ABS Website for latest information and statistics