4172.0 - Arts and Culture in Australia: A Statistical Overview, 2008 (First Edition)  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 26/05/2008   
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Contents >> Employment

EMPLOYMENT

Census of Population and Housing

The 2006 Census of Population and Housing collected employment data relating to the job in which a person worked the most hours during the week before the Census.

A total of 41,525 people were employed in publishing and 37,543 people were employed in the printing of newspapers, periodicals and books. A further 31,633 people were employed in the wholesaling and/or retailing of books, newspapers, magazines and stationery.

Of those working in the printing/publishing sector of the literature and print media industry, 46% were employed in a cultural occupation, compared with only 2% of those employed in the wholesaling and retailing sector. The most common cultural occupations recorded were Print journalists (5,006 people employed), Printing machinists (4,846) and Newspaper or periodical editors (3,033). Of the non-cultural occupations recorded for this industry, Sales assistants (15,208) and Retail managers (7,896) were the most common.

11.5 PERSONS EMPLOYED IN LITERATURE AND PRINT MEDIA INDUSTRIES(a)(b), By occupation - August 2006

Printing
Book and magazine wholesaling
Newspaper and book retailing
Newspaper publishing
Magazine and other periodical publishing
Book publishing
Internet publishing and broadcasting

Authors
9
12
18
40
44
241
4
Book or script editors
6
45
3
10
25
564
20
Classified advertising clerks
10
-
4
430
27
3
-
Copywriters
10
-
3
30
6
7
3
Newspaper or periodical editors
28
14
13
1 700
1 075
141
62
Print journalists
53
-
17
4 161
730
26
19
Proof readers
46
-
3
74
11
43
-
Radio journalists
-
-
-
11
-
-
-
Technical writers
3
3
4
3
5
37
6
Television journalists
-
-
-
19
-
-
-
Binders and finishers
1 513
19
4
24
48
309
3
Screen printers
859
-
-
-
-
-
-
Graphic pre-press trades workers
1 717
6
9
895
126
100
3
Printing machinists
3 186
3
11
1 331
206
106
3
Small offset printers
283
-
-
-
-
7
-
Printer's assistants
1 592
7
5
709
71
76
3
Printing table workers
1 031
-
5
166
42
89
-
Other cultural occupations
7 614
157
134
2 783
1 310
621
182
Total cultural occupations
17 960
266
233
12 386
3 726
2 370
308
Other occupations
19 583
3 357
27 777
14 187
4 852
4 004
850
Total occupations
37 543
3 623
28 010
26 573
8 578
6 374
1 158

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) Cells in this table have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.
(b) In their main job in the week before Census Night.
Source: ABS, Census of Population and Housing, 2006, data available on request.



Book Publishers Survey

The 2003-04 ABS Book Publishers Survey reported that there were 5,300 people employed by the 244 businesses involved in book publishing, which was virtually the same as the previous year.

11.6 BOOK PUBLISHERS(a), Employment - 2002-03 to 2003-04

2002-03
2003-04
no.
no.

Males
1 784
1 848
Females
3 556
3 452
Persons
5 341
5 300

(a) 'Book publishers' includes only businesses for which the predominant activity is book publishing. 'Other major contributors' includes only the book publishing employment of businesses for which the predominant activity is not book publishing, but book publishing income is $2m or more.
Source: ABS, Book Publishers, 2003-04 (cat. no. 1363.0).



Book Retailers Survey

The 2003-04 ABS Book Retailers Survey showed that there were 8,717 people employed in the 561 businesses predominantly involved in book retailing. The largest increase in employment in this sector occurred between 2002-03 and 2003-04 (19%), with numbers increasing by 4% between 2001-02 and 2002-03.

11.7 BOOKSHOPS(a), Employment - 2001-02 to 2003-04

2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
no.
no.
no.

Males
2 398
2 383
2 855
Females
4 685
4 953
5 862
Persons
7 083
7 336
8 717

(a) Includes only those businesses which are classified according to the ANZSIC as Newspaper, book and stationery retailing and for which the value of new book sales comprises at least 50% of all retail sales.
Source: ABS, Book Retailers, Australia, 2003-04 (cat. no. 1371.0).



Work Survey

Additional information on people's involvement in Literature and print media was also collected in the ABS 2007 survey of Work in Selected Culture and Leisure Activities.

According to this survey, some 606,500 people contributed their writing skills in the 12 months before interview, with 40% of these receiving some payment for their contributions.

A further 208,400 people had a work involvement in publishing in the 12 months before interview, with just over one-half (51%) receiving some payment for their efforts.




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