6216.0 - Multiple Jobholding, Australia, Aug 1997  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 20/03/1998  Final
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MEDIA RELEASE

March 20, 1998
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
30/98
One in twenty workers hold a second job - up on ten years ago

One in twenty Australians workers aged over 15 were employed working two jobs, in August 1997, according to survey results released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Over the ten year period to August 1997, the proportion of multiple jobholders (i.e. persons who had more than one job and were an employee in at least one) had increased from 3.7 per cent of all employed people to 5.2 per cent (435,600 people). While the total number of people in employment increased 17 per cent in that time, the number of multiple jobholders increased 66 per cent.

Also, more multiple jobholders were female (52 per cent) than male in 1997 compared to 44 per cent ten years ago.

In their main job, 25 per cent of multiple job holders were employed as Professionals while 18 per cent were employed as Intermediate clerical, sales and service workers. For their second job, 22 per cent were employed as Professionals and 17 per cent as Intermediate clerical, sales and service workers

Retail trade, Education, and Health and community services were the typical industries (each 13 per cent) where multiple job holders worked their main job. For their second job, the main industries worked where Retail trade (14 per cent), and Accommodation, cafes and restaurants, Property and business services, Education, and Health and community services (each 11 per cent).

The survey also showed that 41 per cent of multiple job holders worked 35 hours or more in their first job during the reference week. Of these, 53 per cent worked less than 10 hours in their second job and 14 per cent worked 20 hours or more in their second job.

Higher proportions of females than males were in the lowest weekly earnings ranges in both their main and second job due, in part, to relative hours worked in each job by males and females. Most females (69 per cent) earned less than $480 a week in their main job compared with 42 per cent of males. In their second job 61 per cent of females earned less than $160 per week compared to 50 per cent of males.

Details are in Multiple Jobholding, Australia, August 1997 (cat. no. 6216.0) available from ABS Bookshops. Main features for this publication are available from this site.