FORMS OF EMPLOYMENT, QUEENSLAND - NOVEMBER 2007


Overview
Selected characteristics of employed persons
Industry
Occupation
Length of employment with current employer/business
Tenure of employment
Hours worked in main job
Worked on a contract basis
Worked on a fixed-term contract
Further information


OVERVIEW

Working life in Queensland continues to change. There are more diverse employment arrangements, more flexible working time patterns, and increases in the extent of part-time and casual employment.

Statistics in this article were compiled from data collected in the Forms of Employment Survey, conducted throughout Australia in November 2007 as a supplement to the Australian Bureau of Statistics monthly Labour Force Survey (LFS). The survey examined the nature of employment arrangements in the Australian workforce.

For a comprehensive list of scope exclusions, see the Explanatory Notes in the ABS publication: Forms of Employment, Australia, Nov 2007 (cat. no. 6359.0).

The Forms of Employment Survey (FOES) classifies employed people on the basis of their main job to the employment type classification which captures the essential nature of their employment arrangements. The 2007 FOES classified employed people using the following employment types:

Employees (excluding owner managers of incorporated enterprises)

• Employees with paid leave entitlements - employees (excluding owner managers of incorporated enterprises) who were entitled to either paid sick leave or paid holiday leave (or both).
• Employees without paid leave entitlements - employees (excluding owner managers of incorporated enterprises) who were not entitled to, or did not know whether they were entitled to, paid sick or paid holiday leave.

Owner managers

• Owner managers of incorporated enterprises (OMIEs) - people who work in their own incorporated enterprise, that is, a business entity which is registered as a separate legal entity to its members or owners (also known as a limited liability company).
  
• Owner managers of unincorporated enterprises (OMUEs) - people who operate their own unincorporated enterprise, that is, a business entity in which the owner and the business are legally inseparable, so that the owner is liable for any business debts that are incurred. Includes those engaged independently in a trade or profession.

For more detailed definitions, see the Glossary in the ABS publication: Forms of Employment, Australia, Nov 2007 (cat. no. 6359.0).

(a) Totals may not sum due to rounding.
(b) Excludes people who were contributing family workers in their main job.
(c) Includes people who did not know if they were entitled to paid holiday and paid sick leave in their main job.
SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF EMPLOYED PERSONS

In November 2007, there were 2.1 million people (1,164,500 males and 966,400 females) aged 15 years and over who were employed in Queensland. The majority of employed persons were employees (excluding OMIEs) accounting for 81% (1.7 million persons), 7.3% (155,600 persons) were owner managers of incorporated enterprises (OMIEs) and 12% (252,800 persons) were owner managers of unincorporated enterprises (OMUEs).

Employees (excluding OMIEs) with paid leave entitlements were the most common employment type with 58% of all employed persons belonging to this group. Men (55%) were more likely to belong in this group than women (45%).

Twenty-three per cent of employed persons were employees (excluding OMIEs) without paid leave entitlements. The majority of these employees were women (57%).

Owner managers of incorporated enterprises (OMIEs) accounted for 7.3% of employed persons, with 66% of OMIEs being males. Owner managers of unincorporated enterprises (OMUEs) constituted 12% of employed persons and 66% of OMUEs were men.
Employees (excluding OMIEs) with paid leave entitlements were concentrated in the 25 to 54 year age groups with 72% of such employees falling within this age range. In contrast, employees (excluding OMIEs) without paid leave entitlements were concentrated in the younger age groups with 40% aged 15-24 years. Of all employees (excluding OMIEs) with paid leave entitlements, just 4.1% were aged 15-19 years and 0.7% were aged 65 years and over.
Full-time and part-time employment

In November 2007, 72% of employed persons worked full-time in their main job. This equates to one million males and over half a million females in full-time employment in Queensland.

Full-time employees (excluding OMIEs) were more likely than part-time employees to have paid leave entitlements. In November 2007, of 1.2 million employees (excluding OMIEs) who were employed full-time, 86% were entitled to paid leave, compared with 36% of almost 500,000 part-time employees who had paid leave entitlements.

Employees (excluding OMIEs) with paid leave entitlements (85%) were more likely to work full-time than OMIEs (77%) and OMUEs (72%), while employees (excluding OMIEs) without paid leave entitlements (36%) were least likely to work full-time.

Part-time workers accounted for 64% of employees (excluding OMIEs) without paid leave entitlements, 28% of OMUEs, 23% of OMIEs and 15% of employees (excluding OMIEs) with paid leave entitlements.

A majority of employees (excluding OMIEs) without paid leave entitlements (87%) considered their main job to be casual while only 3.3% of those with paid leave entitlements did.


INDUSTRY

For employed persons living in Queensland, in November 2007, the industries with the greatest proportions of employees (excluding OMIEs) with paid leave entitlements were Public administration and safety (90%), Electricity, gas, water and waste services (88%) and Mining (88%).

Accommodation and food services (58%), Retail trade (38%) and Arts and recreation services (35%) were the industries with the highest proportions of employees (excluding OMIEs) without paid leave entitlements.

Of the persons whose main job was in the Wholesale trade industry, 17% were OMIEs as were 15% of those employed in both the Professional, scientific and technical services industry group and the Agriculture, forestry and fishing industry group. Industry groups with the highest proportions of OMUEs were Agriculture, forestry and fishing (47%), Construction (25%) and Other services (23%).


OCCUPATION

The highest proportions of employed persons worked in the occupation groups of Professionals (18%), Technicians and trade workers (16%) and Clerical and administrative workers (15%).

In November 2007, 72% of employed Professionals were employees (excluding OMIEs) with paid leave entitlements as were 67% of Clerical and administrative workers and 63% of Machinery operators and drivers.

The Sales workers occupation group had the highest proportion of employees (excluding OMIEs) without paid leave entitlements with 48% of workers in that occupation not having such entitlements. Labourers (41%) and Community and personal service workers (38%) were other occupations with high proportions of employees (excluding OMIEs) without paid leave entitlements.

Twenty per cent of Managers and 8.9% of Professionals were owner managers of incorporated enterprises (OMIEs) in their main occupations while 23% of Managers and 18% of Technicians and trade workers were owner managers of unincorporated enterprises (OMUEs).


CONTINUOUS DURATION WITH CURRENT EMPLOYER/BUSINESS

More employed people had been with their current employer/business for less than one year (27%) than for ten years or more (21%). Regardless of whether their enterprises were incorporated or not, owner managers (38%) most commonly reported that they had been with their current employer/business for ten years or more. In contrast, nearly half (49%) of employees (excluding OMIEs) without paid leave entitlements had been with their current employer/business for less than one year.


EXPECTED FUTURE DURATION WITH CURRENT EMPLOYER/BUSINESS

In November 2007, the majority (89%) of employed people aged 15 years and over in Queensland expected to be with their current employer or business in 12 months time, although expectations varied by type of employment and by age.

More than one-fifth (21%) of employees (excluding OMIEs) without paid leave entitlements did not expect to be with their current employer/business in 12 months time, while 91% of employees (excluding OMIEs) with paid leave entitlements, 97% of owner managers of incorporated enterprises (OMIEs) and 94% of owner managers of unincorporated enterprises (OMUEs) did expect to be in their current employment in 12 months time.

The expectation of being with the same employer or business in 12 months time varies as a function of age. One in five (20%) of employed people aged 15-19 years did not expect to be with their current employer or business in 12 months time, compared to 5.9% of employed people aged 45-54 years.



HOURS WORKED IN MAIN JOB

Nearly one in five (19%) employed Queenslanders aged 15 years and over worked more than 49 hours per week in November 2007. A similar proportion (20%) worked less than 20 hours per week. Owner managers were more likely to work a higher number of hours with 42% of OMIEs and 35% of OMUEs working more than 49 hours per week. Conversely, employees (excluding OMIEs) without leave entitlements were more likely to work fewer hours (45% worked less than 20 hours per week).


Almost three-quarters (74%) of employed Queensland men in November 2007 worked more than 35 hours per week compared to almost one-half (45%) of employed women. The proportion of women who worked less than 20 hours per week during the reference period was more than double their male counterparts (28% of females compared to 13% of males).
WORKED ON A CONTRACT BASIS

In November 2007, there were 86,500 owner managers who worked on a contract basis, that is, they were engaged by an organisation to provide a particular service or undertake a particular task at an agreed price or rate and generally for a specified period.

Women accounted for 19% of owner managers working on a contract basis, regardless of whether their enterprise was incorporated or unincorporated.

Over one-third (39%) of owner managers who worked on a contract basis were employed in the Construction industry, while 17% were in the Professional, scientific and technical services industry.

For owner managers working on a contract basis, the occupations with the greatest numbers were Technicians and trade workers (32%) and Professionals (21%).


WORKED ON A FIXED-TERM CONTRACT

In November 2007, there were 66,000 employees (excluding OMIEs) on a fixed-term contract, that is, they had a contract of employment which specified that the employment will be terminated on a particular date/event.

Women accounted for 54% of employees (excluding OMIEs) employed on a fixed-term contract.

The Education and training industry employed the greatest number of employees (excluding OMIEs) on a fixed-term contract, with 23,900 persons or 36%. The Health care and social assistance and Public administration and safety industries accounted for a further 14% each.

Around four out of every ten (42%) employees (excluding OMIEs) who were employed on a fixed-term contract worked as Professionals while Clerical and administrative workers and Technicians and trade workers accounted for a further 15% each.
FURTHER INFORMATION

More information on this topic can be accessed in Forms of Employment, Australia, November 2007 (cat. no. 6359.0).