BUSINESS HUMAN RESOURCES DEVOTED TO R&D


INDUSTRY

In 2008-09, Manufacturing and Professional, scientific and technical services were the main contributors to total human resources devoted to R&D, at 17,181 (32%) and 14,155 (26%) person years of effort (PYE), respectively. While Manufacturing remained the largest industry contributor from 2007-08, it recorded the largest absolute decrease in PYE (down 1,204 PYE) and the largest decrease in proportional share of total PYE (down four percentage points from 36%).

The largest absolute increase in PYE from 2007-08 was recorded by Financial and insurance services (up 1,773 PYE), followed by Mining (up 1,036 PYE). These two industries also recorded the largest increases in proportional share of total PYE from 2007-08.

EMPLOYMENT SIZE

In 2008-09, businesses with 200 or more employees accounted for the largest proportion of total human resources devoted to R&D in 2008-09, at 59% (or 31,521 PYE). This employment size group also recorded the largest increase in proportional share of total PYE (up one percentage point) and the largest absolute growth in PYE (up 2,259 PYE) from 2007-08.

Businesses with 0-4 employees showed the largest percentage increase in PYE (up 17% to 1,673 PYE), but remains the lowest contributing group to total PYE (at 3%).

As for expenditure on R&D, the 20-199 employment size grouping was the only group to decrease its proportional share of PYE devoted to R&D from 2007-08, down two percentage points. This group was also the only group to record a decrease in absolute terms, down 189 PYE.


TYPE OF RESOURCE

Researchers continued to be the most dominant type of human resource devoted to R&D (50% of total PYE) in 2008-09, and reported the largest absolute growth from 2007-08 (up 1,031 PYE to 26,941 PYE). Technicians reported the next highest growth over the same period, up 915 PYE to 17,561 PYE.


FOREIGN OWNERSHIP

In 2008-09, as for business expenditure on R&D, wholly Australian owned businesses made the largest contribution to human resource effort at 28,343 PYE (53%) and also contributed the largest increase in human resource effort devoted to R&D (up 1,826 PYE) from 2007-08.

Business human resources devoted to R&D, by level of foreign ownership(a)
	Human resources devoted to R&D			Proportion of total human resources devoted to R&D
	2006-07(b)	2007-08(b)	2008-09	2006-07(b)	2007-08(b)	2008-09
	PYE	PYE	PYE	%	%	%
Wholly Australian owned (0%)	24 088	26 517	28 343	51.8	52.1	52.9
Greater than 0% and less than 10%	2 472	2 686	3 032	5.3	5.3	5.7
10% to 50%	4 893	4 333	4 918	10.5	8.5	9.2
Greater than 50%	15 009	17 326	17 263	32.3	34.1	32.2
Total	46 462	50 863	53 556	100.0	100.0	100.0
(a) A definition of foreign ownership was not provided in the survey and data were accepted as reported.
(b) 2006-07 and 2007-08 data have been revised. See the Revisions section of the Technical Note for details.