6310.0 - Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Membership, Australia, Aug 2007 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 14/04/2008   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All
MEDIA RELEASE
April 14, 2008
Embargoed 11.30 am (AEST)
29/2008

Trade union membership down 5% over 12 months to August 2007: ABS

Almost one in five employees (19% or 1.7 million people) were trade union members in conjunction with their main job in August 2007, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

This was a fall of 89,600 from the previous year. The proportion of employees who were trade union members also decreased from 20% to 19% over the same period.

The ABS also found that a higher proportion of full-time employees were trade union members than part-time employees (21% compared with 14%), as were public sector employees compared to those in the private sector (41% compared with 14%).

Employees earned, on average, $916 in their main job. Mean weekly earnings in their main job was $1,126 for full-time employees and $412 for part-time employees. Male full-time employees earned, on average, $1,212 in their main job, compared to $971 for female full-time employees.

Other findings on earnings in main job included:
    • The Australian Capital Territory had the highest mean weekly earnings ($1,122), while Tasmania had the lowest ($773).
    • The mining industry had the highest mean weekly earnings for full-time employees ($1,772), while accommodation and food services had the lowest ($781).
    • The age group with the highest mean weekly earnings for full-time employees was 35-44 year olds ($1,284), while the lowest was 15-19 year olds ($493).

Three-quarters (75%) of employees1 were entitled to paid holiday leave and/or paid sick leave in their main job. Other findings on leave entitlements included:
    • The proportion of full-time employees1 with paid leave entitlements was 89%, compared with 43% of part-time employees1.
    • The age group with the highest proportion of employees1 with paid leave entitlements was 45-54 year olds (83%), while the lowest was 15-19 year olds (34%), partly reflecting the higher proportion of part-time employees in the latter category.

Further information can be found in Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Membership, Australia, August 2007 (cat. no. 6310.0).

Media Note:
1. Excluding those employees who were owner managers of incorporated enterprises.