8696.0 - Community Services, Australia, 1995-96  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 10/02/1998   
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Community services data reveals a large industry


At the end of June 1996, there were 8,058 employing businesses and organisations in Australia involved in providing community services, according to figures in a new report Community Services, Australia 1995-96 released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

These enterprises employed 321,059 people at the end of June and had a further 239,390 volunteers during the month of June 1996. Total expenditure by them was $9,736 million of which $8,515 million was spent on the direct provision of community services.

"Not for profit" organisations accounted for 49 per cent ($4,213 million) of the expenditure on direct community service activity. The remaining expenditure was by government organisations ($2,488 million) and "for profit" organisations ($1,814 million).

The major areas of expenditure on direct community service provision during 1995-96 were residential care and accommodation support ($5,005 million), personal and social support ($1,567 million) and child care ($1,026 million).

Nationally, government organisations pay private sector organisations $4,945 million for community service purposes and spend $211 million on social planning and policy development. Government organisations spend $2,488 million on direct community service delivery.

At the State and Territory level, direct community services expenditure in New South Wales ($3,327 million) was slightly higher than its share of the resident population, while expenditure in Victoria and Queensland was below. "Not for profit" organisations provided the majority of direct community service expenditure in all States and Territories, however, expenditure of "for profit" organisations was a relatively high 23 per cent of all direct community service expenditure in each of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

The community service industry was dominated by female and part-time employees. Of the 98,897 persons working in the nursing home industry at the end of June 1996, 70,542 were part-time females. Similarly, 94 per cent of total employees (36,135) in the child care industry were females, of which 57 per cent worked on a part time basis.

Details are in Community Services, Australia 1995-96 (cat. no. 8696.0) available from ABS bookshops.