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Labour Statistics: Concepts, Sources and Methods was originally released in 2001 in both electronic and paper versions (cat. no. 6102.0). The paper publication will not be rereleased. However, the web version (cat. no. 6102.0.55.001) is being updated on an ongoing basis. This chapter was updated on 15 December, 2005.


INTRODUCTION

23.1 In recent years there has been increasing demand for information on the diversity of working arrangements in the Australian labour market, and on superannuation. The Survey of Employment Arrangements and Superannuation (SEAS) was conducted from April to June 2000, in a sample of households across Australia, in order to provide information that will inform the debate in these areas. It is planned to conduct the survey again in 2007.

23.2 The aims of the SEAS were to describe:

• the diversity of working arrangements in the Australian workforce; and

• people's superannuation arrangements.

• nature of employment (e.g. wage and salary earner, in own business, working on a fixed term contract);

• job duration and expected future job duration;

• access to paid leave;

• number of hours worked, and preferred hours, indicating overwork and underemployment;

• regularity of hours worked, and whether any hours were worked on weekends or in the evening or over night;

• working arrangements such as multiple jobholding, shiftwork, work done at home;

• earnings (amount and whether they vary); and

• preferred work patterns.

• the type of superannuation coverage that people had (e.g. employer or personal contributions, or both);

• how much people and their employers were contributing to superannuation, and how much money people had accrued in superannuation;

• reasons for not making personal contributions to superannuation; and

• the amount of any lump sums recently received from superannuation, and how the lump sum was used.

Socio-demographic information	Sex, age, marital status, relationship in household, family, geographic region, housing tenure, educational attainment, birthplace and year of arrival in Australia. .
Labour force data	Labour force status. .
People employed	Whether multiple job holder, status in employment, employment type, whether working on a casual basis (employees only), whether working on a contract basis (owner managers only), occupation, industry, time in job or business, whether job has a set finishing date, hours usually worked, hours worked at home, extra hours and overtime worked, preferred working hours, working patterns, preferred working patterns, paid leave entitlements, workplace injuries or illnesses sustained, training, work done at home, shiftwork, whether on call or stand-by, and whether paid by an employment agency. .
People not currently working who had worked in the last 12 months .	Some details of last job held. .
Superannuation	Whether contributing to superannuation or drawing on superannuation; number of superannuation accounts and types of accounts; type of contributions, including personal, employer, spouse; amount being contributed, and amount accrued in superannuation; for those not making personal contributions, reasons for not personally contributing; and whether received a lump sum recently, and if 'yes' how the lump sum was used. .
Income	Earnings for each job (up to two jobs); annual income; main source of income; and all sources of income.

• overseas residents in Australia;

• certain diplomatic personnel of overseas governments, customarily excluded from the Census and estimated resident population counts;

• members of non-Australian defence forces (and their dependants) stationed in Australia;

• people visiting private dwellings;

• people living in remote and sparsely settled areas; and

• people living in non-private dwellings (e.g. hotels).

• state;

• part of state;

• sex; and

• age.

• state;

• part of state; and

• household composition.