1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2008  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 07/02/2008   
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Contents >> Industry structure and performance >> Australian industry business entries and exits

AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY BUSINESS ENTRIES AND EXITS

This section provides counts and details of the flow of Australian businesses into and out of the Australian economy, including the survival rates of entries. Data was sourced from the ABS Business Register and only includes businesses which actively traded in goods and services during the reference period, rather than all entities registered on the Australian Business Register (ABR). Businesses classified to ANZSIC Division M, Government administration and defence are excluded from the statistics. In addition, entities classified to the general government institutional sector are excluded for most industries. This exclusion particularly affects data for the Education, and Health and community services industries, where details relate only to private sector businesses. The term 'total selected industries' is used to refer to the aggregate of the industries included in this section.

Table 15.7 shows the number of actively trading businesses in Australia at the beginning and end of 2005-06. The number of businesses operating in the total selected industries at June 2006 was 1,963,907. This compares with 1,939,088 businesses operating at the beginning of 2005-06 (a growth of 1.3% during the period). The Property and business services industry had the greatest number of businesses at June 2006, 492,453 (or 25% of the total), followed by Construction (16%), and Retail trade and Agriculture, forestry and fishing (both 11%).

15.7 OPERATING BUSINESSES - 2005-06
Operating at start of year
Entries(a)
Exists(b)
Operating at
end of year
Change
ANZSIC Division
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
213 250
30 029
28 400
214 879
1 629
0.8
Mining
6 563
1 467
1 033
6 997
434
6.6
Manufacturing
108 177
12 702
14 101
106 778
-1 399
-1.3
Electricity, gas and water supply
1 950
501
394
2 057
107
5.5
Construction
303 048
53 385
48 028
308 405
5 357
1.8
Wholesale trade
84 516
12 151
12 034
84 633
117
0.1
Retail trade
216 960
34 401
33 677
217 684
724
0.3
Accommodation, cafes and restaurants
54 686
10 358
9 378
55 666
980
1.8
Transport and storage
114 264
18 956
17 578
115 642
1 378
1.2
Communication services
23 581
4 504
4 894
23 191
-390
-1.7
Finance and insurance
129 143
22 337
21 834
129 646
503
0.4
Property and business services
480 936
80 770
69 253
492 453
11 517
2.4
Education
14 954
3 072
2 739
15 287
333
2.2
Health and community services
86 946
10 836
8 554
89 228
2 282
2.6
Cultural and recreational services
45 404
7 833
7 700
45 537
133
0.3
Personal and other services
54 710
11 276
10 162
55 824
1 114
2.0
Total selected industries
1 939 088
314 578
289 759
1 963 907
24 819
1.3
(a) Businesses which were actively trading on the Business Register at June 2006 but were either not included or not actively trading at June 2005.
(b) Businesses which were actively trading on the Business Register at June 2005 but were either not included or not actively trading at June 2006.
Source: Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits (8165.0).


Graph 15.8 shows that in 2005-06, business entry rates exceeded business exit rates in all but two industries (Communication services and Manufacturing). Electricity, gas and water supply (26%) and Mining (22%) had the highest entry rates, although these were the two smallest industries in terms of the total number of businesses. Over the same period, exit rates were highest for Communication services (21%) and Electricity, gas and water supply (20%).

15.8 Business entry and exit rates(a) - 2005-06
Graph: 15.8 Business entry and exit rates(a)—2005–06

Graph 15.9 shows survival rates at June 2005 and June 2006 for business entries during 2003-04. Survival rates at June 2005 and June 2006 were highest for businesses in Health and community services, and Agriculture, forestry and fishing (both 80% and 67% respectively). Their survival rates at June 2005 and June 2006 are notably higher than the total selected industries average (75% and 58% respectively). Survival rates at June 2005 and June 2006 for business entries during 2003-04 were lowest for Cultural and recreational services, Communication services and Electricity, gas and water supply.

15.9 Business survival rates(a) - June
Graph: 15.9 Business survival rates(a)—June






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