2017.0 - Census of Population and Housing: Selected Education and Labour Force Characteristics Australia, 2001  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 08/04/2003   
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AUSTRALIA

INTRODUCTION


STATISTICS PRESENTED IN THIS PUBLICATION

This publication presents a range of education and labour force statistics produced from the 2001 Census of Population and Housing for Australia. For comparative purposes, it includes 1996 Census data presented on 2001 Census geography.

The tables in this publication provide selected characteristics of the population for Statistical Divisions (SDs), Statistical Subdivisions (SSDs) and Statistical Local Areas (SLAs). The purpose of these tables is to allow a broad comparison of characteristics between geographic areas.

This publication also contains the Basic Community Profile (BCP) for Australia. This set of tables is provided to illustrate the wide range of data available from the Census. The BCP consists of 33 tables. This publication contains tables 22 to 33 which focus on education and labour force characteristics. The remainder of the BCP, tables 1 to 21, is published in Census of Population and Housing: Selected Social and Housing Characteristics for Statistical Local Areas, Australia (cat. no. 2015.0).

The statistics in this publication are presented on the basis of where people were counted on Census Night ('as enumerated' counts).

One of the important features of the Census is that it describes the characteristics of Australia's population for small geographic areas and small population groups. While not available in this publication, data at the smallest geographic level (Collection District) are available in a range of census products. For more information on these products, please refer to the Appendix-Census Products and Services. Concepts and definitions used in this publication are explained in the Glossary and more detailed information is available in the 2001 Census Dictionary (cat. no. 2901.0). The Explanatory Notes in this publication provide a discussion of the scope and coverage of the Census, the different measures of population, and the limitations of census data.

This publication is one of a series of publications which provide data at SSD level. A similar publication is also available for each state and territory, providing data at the SLA level. See the Appendix-Census Products and Services for more information.


SUMMARY OF FINDINGS


LABOUR FORCE

In Australia, the labour force grew to 8,959,315 from 8,408,289 persons aged 15 years and over, an increase of 6.6%.


EMPLOYED

In 2001, there were 8,298,606 employed persons of which 5,360,693 were full-time workers and 2,689,709 were part-time. This represented an increase of 8.7% (662,286 persons) since 1996. The State of Victoria (10.5%) experienced the largest increase while Tasmania (0.2%) recorded the smallest.


Full-time/Part-time

In 2001, there was a fall in the proportion of full-time workers who represented 59.8% of the labour force, down from 61.6% in 1996.

In the period 1996 to 2001, the number of persons employed part-time grew from 2,286,662 in 1996 to 2,689,709 in 2001, an increase of 17.6%. These workers represented 30.0% of the labour force in 2001, compared with 27.2% in 1996.

Graph - Full/Part-time employed and unemployment rate, Difference in proportions of the labour force, 1996-2001



In 2001 all states and territories, apart from the Australian Capital Territory, had both a lower unemployment rate and lower full-time employment rate than in 1996. The lower unemployment rate is associated with increased part-time employment.

Western Australia experienced the largest decrease in the proportion of persons employed full-time within the labour force (to 58.1% from 61.2%). It also recorded one of the three largest rises in the proportion of persons employed part-time (to 31.8% from 28.7%), along with Queensland (to 30.3% from 27.2%) and Tasmania (to 32.5% from 29.4%).

The smallest decrease in the proportion of persons employed full-time within the labour force was recorded in the Northern Territory (to 63.1% from 63.4%) while the Australian Capital Territory recorded the only increase (to 63.2% from 62.7%). The smallest increase in the proportion of persons employed part-time also was recorded in the Northern Territory (to 28.0% from 26.7%) followed by the Australian Capital Territory (to 29.6% from 27.8%).


Occupation

In 2001, the largest occupation groups were Professionals (1,514,096 persons or 18.2%), Intermediate Clerical, Sales and Service Workers (1,366,701 persons or 16.5%), Tradespersons and Related Workers (1,018,903 persons or 12.3%), Associate Professionals (975,653 persons or 11.8%) and Elementary Clerical, Sales and Service Workers (792,378 persons or 9.5%). These proportions are similar to those in 1996.

High proportions of persons employed as Professionals were recorded in the Australian Capital Territory (26.1%), Victoria (19.2%) and New South Wales (19.1%).

Persons employed as Intermediate Clerical, Sales and Services Workers were dispersed relatively evenly throughout Australia. The Australian Capital Territory (18.1%) recorded the highest percentage while the Northern Territory (15.7%) recorded the lowest.

The highest proportions of persons employed as Tradespersons and Related Workers were recorded in the Northern Territory (13.6%) and Western Australia (13.3%). The Australian Capital Territory recorded the lowest (8.0%).

The proportions of persons working as Associate Professionals ranged from 14.2% for the Australian Capital Territory down to 11.4% for Victoria.

States with the highest proportions of persons employed as Elementary Clerical, Sales and Services Workers were concentrated in the east of Australia. The three highest proportions were recorded in Queensland (10.1%), Tasmania (10.0%) and Victoria (9.6%). The Northern Territory recorded the lowest with 8.1%.


Industry

In 2001, the four largest industries of employment in Australia were Retail Trade (1,211,332 persons or 14.6%), Manufacturing (1,010,179 persons or 12.2%), Property and Business Services (920,331 persons or 11.1%) and Health and Community Services (806,171 persons or 9.7%). These industries were also the top four industries in Australia in 1996.

Since 1996, there has been an increase in the percentage of persons employed in Retail Trade (to 14.6% from 13.6%). The highest proportions were recorded in Queensland (15.3%) and Tasmania (15.0%). The Northern Territory (11.9%) and the Australian Capital Territory (12.2%) recorded the lowest.

At the state/territory level, the highest proportions of persons employed in Manufacturing were Victoria (15.3%) and South Australia (14.7%). Again, the Australian Capital Territory (3.5%) and the Northern Territory (4.5%) recorded the lowest.

Since 1996, the percentage of persons employed in Property and Business Services increased (to 11.1% from 9.8%). The highest proportions were recorded in the Australian Capital Territory (14.7%) and New South Wales (12.2%). The lowest proportion was recorded in Tasmania (7.7%).

High proportions of persons employed in Health and Community Services were dispersed evenly throughout the country. The highest proportion of persons employed in this industry was recorded in Tasmania (11.6%) while the lowest was recorded in the Australian Capital Territory (8.3%).


UNEMPLOYMENT

The number of unemployed persons decreased by 14.4%, to 660,709 in 2001 from 771,970 in 1996. The unemployment rate fell to 7.4% in 2001 from 9.2% in 1996. The largest fall in the unemployment rate was recorded in South Australia (to 7.6% from 10.4%) while Western Australia recorded the smallest decrease (to 7.5% from 8.1%).

The number of unemployed persons looking for full-time work decreased by 22.5% (to 472,513 in 2001 from 609,982 in 1996). However, the number of those unemployed looking for part-time work increased by 16.2% (to 188,196 in 2001 from 161,988 in 1996).

In Australia, the highest unemployment rates were registered in Tasmania (10.1%), followed by Queensland (8.2%) and South Australia (7.6%). The lowest unemployment rates were in the Australian Capital Territory (5.1%) and the Northern Territory (5.9%).

For those aged 15-24 years, the unemployment rate fell to 13.8% in 2001 from 15.7% in 1996. South Australia recorded the largest decline (to 14.8% from 18.4%) while Western Australia was the only state or territory to experience an increase in youth unemployment (to 14.1% from 13.7%).

The states with the highest youth unemployment rates were Tasmania (19.2%) and Queensland (15.3%). The lowest rates were recorded in the Northern Territory (10.5%) and the Australian Capital Territory (11.1%).


NON-SCHOOL QUALIFICATION


Level of Education

In 2001, there were 5,153,213 persons with a qualification, accounting for 34.7% of all persons aged 15 years and over. Between 1996 and 2001 the number of persons with a qualification in Australia increased from 4,179,149 (30.0% of persons aged 15 years and over).

Graph: Non-School Qualification, Level of Education



Of those with a qualification, 45.4% (2,341,941 persons) held a Certificate, 28.1% (1,445,943 persons) held a Bachelor Degree, 17.3% (892,359 persons) held an Advanced Diploma and Diploma, and 9.2% (472,970 persons) held a Postgraduate Degree or Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate as their highest level of qualification.

High proportions of persons aged 15 years and over with a Bachelor Degree or higher as their highest level of qualification were recorded in the Australian Capital Territory (25.8%), Victoria (14.2%) and New South Wales (13.6%). These same areas also recorded high proportions of persons employed as Professionals. South Australia (10.7%) and Queensland (10.8%) had the lowest proportions of persons with a Bachelor Degree or higher.

High proportions of persons aged 15 years and over with a Certificate as their highest level of qualification were dispersed throughout Australia. Western Australia (16.8%) and New South Wales (16.4%) were the highest recorded, while the Australian Capital Territory (13.1%) and Victoria (14.5%) recorded the lowest.


Field of Study

Graph: Non-School Qualification: Field of Study, Proportion of persons aged 15 years and over with a qualification



Engineering and Related Technologies (1,270,721 persons or 18.5% of those aged 15 years and over with a qualification), Management and Commerce (1,053,735 persons or 15.4%), Health (592,009 persons or 8.6%) and Education (508,781 persons or 7.4%) were the fields in which people most commonly held their highest level of qualification. Other, which includes Society and Culture, Creative Arts, Food, Hospitality and Personal Services, and Mixed Programmes (1,154,075 persons or 16.8%) also recorded a high proportion.