2017.0 - Census of Population and Housing: Selected Education and Labour Force Characteristics, 2001  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 08/04/2003   
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General descriptions of terms and concepts used in this publication are provided below. Tables are also footnoted where applicable for additional clarity. Detailed definitions of classifications and concepts are available in the 2001 Census Dictionary (cat.no.2901.0).

Couple family

This is a family based on two persons who are in a registered or de facto marriage and who are usually resident in the same household. The family may include any number of dependents, non-dependents and/or other related individuals. As it is not necessary for a parent-child relationship to be formed, a couple family can consist of a couple without children.

Family

A family is defined by the ABS as two or more persons, one of whom is at least 15 years of age, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption, step or fostering, and who are usually resident in the same household. The basis of a family is formed by identifying either a couple, parent-child or other blood relationship. Information on persons temporarily absent on Census Night is considered in family coding.

Full-time/Part-time employment

This variable is based on the number of hours worked in all jobs held by employed people during the week before Census Night. It excludes any time off but includes any overtime or extra time worked:

  • Part-time workers: employed people who worked up to 34 hours
  • Full-time workers: employed people who worked 35 hours or more.

Geographic areas

The tables in this publication are at the levels of Statistical Local Area, Statistical Subdivision and Statistical Division, as defined by the 2001 Census edition of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC).

Statistical Local Area (SLA): These areas consist of one or more Collection Districts and cover, in aggregate, the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps.

Statistical Subdivision (SSD): These areas consist of one or more SLAs and cover, in aggregate, the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps.

Statistical Division (SD): These areas consist of one or more SSDs and cover, in aggregate, the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps. They do not cross state or territory boundaries. However, the Other Territories, Jervis Bay Territory and the Territories of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands together form one SD. Capital city SDs are predominantly urban in character and the boundaries are delineated to contain the anticipated urban development of the capital cities (and associated urban centres) for a period of at least 20 years.

SDs outside the capital city are designed to be relatively homogeneous regions characterised by identifiable social and economic links between the inhabitants and the economic units in the region, under the unifying influence of one or more major towns or cities.

State/territory (STE): States and territories consist of one or more SDs and are the largest type of spatial unit in the ASGC. The six Australian states and five territories which are part of geographic Australia and included in the 2001 ASGC are New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory and the external Territories of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands. In the ASGC, Jervis Bay Territory, the Territory of Christmas Island and the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands are combined to form Other Territories (OT).

For this series of publications, data for Other Territories are published down to SSD level in 2017.0 (Australia), and down to SLA in 2017.1 (New South Wales) for Jervis Bay Territory and 2017.5 (Western Australia) for Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

More information about definitions, and lists of codes and names of the geographic areas can be found in Statistical Geography Volume 1-Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) 2001 (cat.no.1216.0).

Household

A household is defined as a group of two or more related or unrelated people who usually reside in the same dwelling, who regard themselves as a household, and who make common provision for food or other essentials for living; or a person living in a dwelling who makes provision for his/her own food and other essentials for living, without combining with any other person.

Under this definition, in a group house where occupants share the dwelling, each occupant who usually supplies his/her own food should be counted as a separate household and issued with a separate Household Form. In practice, however, most such households usually only complete one form.

Household income

Household income is the sum of the individual incomes of each resident present in the household on Census Night. If any resident aged 15 years or over is temporarily absent, or does not state their income, then household income is not derived for that household.

Although visitors' incomes are excluded in the calculation of household income, household income is still calculated for households that comprise only visitors, in order to collect data on household incomes in holiday resorts.

Income

People aged 15 years and over are asked to indicate their usual gross weekly income by selecting an income range on the census form. There are 16 options ranging from 'Negative income', 'Nil income' through to '$1,500 or more per week'. For example, a person with a gross weekly income of $650 per week would tick the range '$600-$699 per week'. Gross weekly income is the income before tax, superannuation, health insurance, or other deductions are made. Gross income includes: family allowance, parenting payment, pensions, unemployment benefits, student allowances, maintenance (child support), superannuation, wages, salary, overtime, dividends, rents received, interest received, business or farm income (less operation expenses) and worker's compensation received.

Industry (of employment)

This variable describes the industries in which employed people (aged 15 years and over) work, and is coded to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 1993 (cat.no.1292.0).

Labour force

The labour force is made up of employed and unemployed people aged 15 years and over.

Labour force status

Labour force status identifies whether a person aged 15 years or over is employed, unemployed or not in the labour force.

Employed - includes those people who, during the week prior to Census Night, work for payment or profit; have a job from which they are on leave or otherwise temporarily absent; are on strike or stood down temporarily; or work as unpaid helpers in a family business.
Unemployed - includes people who, during the week prior to Census Night, do not have a job but are actively looking for work (either full-time or part-time) and are available to start work.
Not in the labour force - includes people aged 15 years and over who are not employed or unemployed as defined above. This includes people who are retired, pensioners and people engaged solely in home duties.

Non-School Qualification: Field of Study

This variable describes the field of study of the highest completed Non-School qualification.

The full classification for levels of education and fields of education, together with an explanation of the conceptual basis of the classification, can be found in the publication Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED) (cat.no.1272.0).

Non-School Qualification: Level of Education

This variable describes the level of education of the highest completed Non-School qualification (e.g. bachelor degree, diploma).

The full classification for levels of education and fields of education, together with an explanation of the conceptual basis of the classification, can be found in the publication Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED) (cat.no.1272.0).

Occupation

This variable describes the main job held by employed people (aged 15 years and over) during the week prior to Census Night, and is coded using the ASCO - Australian Standard Classification of Occupations, Second Edition, 1996 (cat.no.1220.0).

One parent family

A one parent family consists of a lone parent with at least one child (regardless of age) who is usually resident in the household. The family may also include any number of other related individuals.

Unemployment rate

The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed people expressed as a percentage of the labour force.


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