This section outlines the growth in the number of Australian businesses, and in their employment, by employment size group, in 2000-01 and over the 10-year period from 1990-91 to 2000-01. The analysis and tables cover businesses other than government enterprises and those classified to the Agriculture, forestry and fishing industries.
Table 13.7 shows details of the change in the number of businesses by employment size group, while table 13.8 shows the change in employment across the different employment size categories.
The tables show that in 2000-01 there were 1,164,100 non-agricultural private sector businesses operating in Australia, employing around 6.9 million people. Over the period from 1990-91 to 2000-01, the total number of businesses increased by an average of 3.3% per year, while the total number of persons working grew at 2.2% per year. By comparison, during the 12-month period 1999-2000 to 2000-01 the number of businesses grew by 4.5%, while the number of persons working increased by 2.5%.
Over the period 1990-91 to 2000-01 the average annual rate of growth in numbers of businesses varied across the different size categories, ranging from 1% for businesses with 200 or more employees to 4.3% per year for businesses with 1-4 employees. Over the 12-month period to 2000-01 the number of businesses with 100-199 employees fell by 8.6%, with all other size categories showing increases. The most significant growth in businesses during 2000-01 occurred for those with 20-99 employees (up 8.2%) and non-employing businesses (up 7.4%).
Change in the number of persons employed across the different size categories generally reflected the change in numbers of businesses, with those having 1-4 employees recording the strongest average annual growth (up 3.5%) over the period from 1990-91 to 2000-01. Those businesses with 100-199 employees showed a decrease in employment numbers during 2000-01 (down 9.2%) while still showing an average annual increase in employment over the 10 years to 2000-01 of 1.4% per year. Working proprietors and partners in employing businesses showed an annual decrease in numbers over the same period (down 1.2%). During 2000-01 the number of working proprietors and partners decreased by 4.4%, while in contrast, the number of own account workers increased by 3.7%.
13.7 BUSINESSES(a), By employment category of business
|
 | 2000-01 | Change from 1999-2000 | Average annual rate of growth
1990-91 to 2000-01 |
| ’000 | % | % |
|
| Non-employing businesses | 582.1 | 7.4 | 2.7 |
| 1-4 employees | 370.1 | 1.2 | 4.3 |
| 5-19 employees | 169.8 | 1.6 | 3.3 |
| 20-99 employees | 35.9 | 8.2 | 3.0 |
| 100-199 employees | 3.4 | -8.6 | 1.4 |
| 200 or more employees | 2.8 | 3.5 | 1.0 |
| Total | 1,164.1 | 4.5 | 3.3 |
|
| (a) Excludes public trading and general government entities, and businesses in the Agriculture, fishing and forestry industries. |
Source: Small Business in Australia, 2001 (1321.0). |
13.8 PERSONS EMPLOYED(a), By employment category of business
|
| | 2000-01 | Change from 1999-2000 | Average annual rate of growth 1990-91 to 2000-01 |
| | ’000 | % | % |
|
| Persons working in their own businesses | | | |
| Own account workers | 713.2 | 3.7 | 2.3 |
| Working proprietors and partners in employing businesses | 276.5 | -4.4 | -1.2 |
| Employees | | | |
| Employees in businesses employing 1-4 persons | 775.1 | 2.0 | 3.5 |
| Employees in businesses employing 5-19 persons | 1,494.3 | 3.5 | 3.1 |
| Employees in businesses employing 20-99 persons | 1,376.5 | 6.9 | 2.6 |
| Employees in businesses employing 100-199 persons | 465.2 | -9.2 | 1.4 |
| Employees in businesses employing 200 or more persons | 1,801.1 | 2.7 | 1.5 |
| Total | 5,912.2 | 2.7 | 2.4 |
| Total persons working | 6,901.9 | 2.5 | 2.2 |
|
| (a) Excludes persons employed by public trading and general government entities, and by businesses in the Agriculture, fishing and forestry industries. |
Source: Small Business in Australia, 2001 (1321.0). |
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