EXPLANATORY NOTES


SCOPE

1 This publication presents key characteristics of persons in Australia who worked in a cultural occupation or industry in the week before the 2011 Census of Population and Housing.

2 The Census counts every person who spent Census night (9 August 2011) in Australia. This includes Australian residents in Antarctica and people in the territories of Jervis Bay, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island. The other Australian External Territories, Norfolk Island and minor islands such as Heard and McDonald Islands, are outside the scope of the Australian Census.

3 Although overseas visitors in Australia on Census night were included in the Census count, this publication excludes them in all tabulations.


DATA LIMITATIONS

4 Each stage of the Census is subject to stringent quality assurance procedures to ensure data of the highest quality. However, in a Census there are potential sources of error such as undercounting, respondent error and processing error.

5 Random adjustment of the data is considered to be the most satisfactory technique for avoiding the release of confidential Census data. When the technique is applied, small random adjustments are made which allow the maximum amount of detailed Census data possible to be released without breaching confidentiality. These adjustments result in small introduced random errors.

6 The column and row totals in individual tables are derived after the random adjustment process has been applied, and consequently may include random error. Thus, comparisons between table totals may show some minor discrepancies.

7 Care should be taken when interpreting cells with small numbers, since randomisation, as well as possible respondent and processing errors, have a greater impact on small cells than on larger cells. Further, some small cells have been randomly altered to zero. Caution should be exercised in deducing that there are no people having these particular characteristics.


EMPLOYED PERSONS

8 Employed persons are those aged 15 years and over, who in the week prior to the Census:

• worked for payment or profit, or as an unpaid helper in a family business;
• had a job from which they were on holidays or paid leave; or
• were on strike or temporarily stood down.

9 Persons who worked in a voluntary capacity are not classified as employed persons.

10 If a person had more than one job in the week prior to the Census, then 'main job' refers to the job in which the person usually worked the most hours.


CULTURAL OCCUPATION

11 In the Census, occupations were classified to the most detailed (six-digit) level of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), First Edition, Revision 1 (cat. no. 1220.0). If a Census response lacked adequate information for it to be coded to the six-digit occupation level, it was coded to a 'not further defined' category (e.g. Designers and illustrators nfd) with zeroes in the fifth and sixth digit positions of the ANZSCO code.

12 Cultural occupations were selected on the basis of inclusion in the Occupation Classification in the Australian Culture and Leisure Classifications (ACLC) (Second Edition) (cat. no. 4902.0).


CULTURAL INDUSTRY

13 In the 2011 Census, industry was coded according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) 2006 Revision 1.0 (cat. no. 1292.0). A modified version of the ANZSIC classification is used for the Census which incorporates not further defined (nfd) classes in addition to the normal defined classes. If a response did not provide sufficient information in the Census to be coded to an industry class, the nfd class is applied.

14 Cultural industries were selected by matching ANZSIC codes to the Industry Classification of the ACLC. ACLC industry codes are generally much finer than the ANZSIC codes used by the Census. In some cases, the ANZSIC codes associated with the cultural industries in the ACLC also contain non-cultural industries.


BIRTHPLACE AND ORIGIN

15 For persons born overseas, the group main English speaking countries comprises the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, United States of America and South Africa. The remaining countries in the classification (excluding Australia) comprise the 'non-English speaking countries' for this publication.

16 The list of main English speaking countries provided here is not an attempt to classify countries on the basis of whether or not English is the predominant or official language of each country. It is a list of the main countries from which Australia receives, or has received, significant numbers of overseas settlers who are likely to speak English. The list therefore includes South Africa. Although large numbers of South Africans do not speak English as their first language, those who migrate to Australia are likely to speak English. The list does not include countries which are statistically insignificant in the Australian context, although they are English speaking countries.

17 A person is defined to be of Indigenous origin if he or she identifies himself or herself as of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin.


TOTAL PERSONAL INCOME (WEEKLY)

18 For the 2011 Census, each person aged 15 years and over was asked to indicate the range within which their total personal income from all sources lies (rather than their exact income).

19 Total personal income (weekly) indicates the total income that the person usually receives each week prior to any deductions of tax, superannuation contributions, health insurance, amounts salary sacrificed, or any other automatic deductions. It includes wages, salaries, regular overtime, commissions and bonuses, interest, dividends, rents (less expenses of operation), business and farm income (less expenses of operation), income from superannuation, and government pensions and allowances (including family tax benefit, parenting payment, unemployment benefits, Newstart allowance, rent assistance, pensions, student allowances, maintenance (child support), and workers' compensation).


HOURS WORKED

20 This variable records the number of hours worked in all jobs during the week prior to Census night, by employed people aged 15 years and over. This excludes any time off but includes any overtime or extra time worked.


GENERAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT

21 ABS publications draw extensively on information provided freely by individuals, businesses, governments and other organisations. Their continued cooperation is very much appreciated; without it, the wide range of statistics published by the ABS would not be available. Information received by the ABS is treated in strict confidence as required by the Census and Statistics Act 1905.


REFERENCES

22 Terms and concepts used in this publication are explained in more detail in the following:

• Australian Culture and Leisure Classifications (ACLC) (Second Edition) (cat. no. 4902.0)

• Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006, Revision 1 (cat. no. 1292.0)

• ANZSCO - Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, First Edition, Revision 1 (cat. no. 1220.0)

• Census Dictionary, 2011 (cat. no. 2901.0)

• Differences between the LFS and the Census