MEDIA RELEASE
27 February 2018	Embargoed: 11.30 am (Canberra time)

New statistics released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today showcase Australians' journeys through life.

With the aim of building a long-term picture of Australian society, the Australian Census Longitudinal Dataset (ACLD) brings together a sample of Census data from 2011 and 2016, to provide new insights into the dynamics that drive social and economic change.

ABS Data Integration Partnerships Branch Program Manager, Dr Phillip Gould, said the ACLD has great value in showing life transitions of Australians, including movements in and out of the workforce and through the education system.

"The ACLD is a unique safe and secure data resource, allowing researchers and government to study a range of population groups over time," Dr Gould said.

"For example, the data shows that 57 per cent of Australia's working age population who were unemployed in 2011 had moved into employment by 2016, with the most common industries of employment being Health Care and Social Assistance, and Retail Trade.

“Further research into the characteristics of this group and many others is possible using the ACLD microdata, also released today.

“These types of insights give us a better understanding of the Australian economy."

The new statistics also allow us to look at the outcomes for school leavers.

"Seventy-two per cent of those finishing secondary school around 2011 were employed in 2016, with Retail Trade, and the Accommodation and Food Services being the most common industries." Dr Gould said.

"Forty-one per cent of school leavers had completed a qualification, such as a diploma or degree by 2016, with Management and Commerce, and Society and Culture being common fields of study."

A further ACLD release planned for mid-2018 will enable researchers to explore longer-term transitions and generate even richer insights by combining a sample of data from the 2006, 2011 and 2016 Censuses.

Graphics and tables showing initial analyses are available now in "Australians' journeys through life: Stories from the Australian Census Longitudinal Dataset, 2011-2016 (ABS cat. no. 2081.0)".

Confidentialised data is also available in TableBuilder and DataLab format. Refer "Microdata: Australian Census Longitudinal Dataset, 2011-2016 (ABS cat. no. 2080.0)" for access details.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics is committed to keeping people’s personal information safe, secret and secure and this data set does not enable any identification of individuals.

Notes:
"Working age population" is defined as those aged between 15 and 59 years in 2011
"Completing a qualification" relates to non-school qualifications
When reporting ABS data, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or ABS) must be attributed as the source
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