1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2002  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 25/01/2002   
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Contents >> Construction >> Performance of the construction industry

Summary by industry

A detailed survey of the construction industry was undertaken for the reference year 1996-97. The survey found that businesses in the construction industry providing predominantly trade services accounted for over 80% of the number of businesses and almost three-quarters of the people working in the industry.

More recent information about the performance of businesses in the industry is available from the ABS Economy Wide Surveys, supplemented by business income tax data.

Table 20.1 presents selected summary measures of performance, for sectors of the construction industry. Profit margin per business was highest in the construction trade services sector. This sector also dominated the number of persons employed in the industry, with 65% of the total.

20.1 CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, Summary of Performance by Industry - 1998-99

General construction
Building construction
Selected indicators
Units
Residential
construction
Non-
residential building

construction
Total
Non-building
construction
Total
Construction
trade
services
Total
construction

Employment (1998-99
annual average)
'000
n.a.
n.a.
170
54
224
410
634
Wages and salaries
$m
891
773
1,664
1,645
3,310
4,870
8,180
Total income
$m
23,121
16,272
39,393
12,380
51,772
41,761
93,533
Total operating expenses
$m
21,040
15,643
36,683
11,894
48,577
35,319
83,896
Operating profit before tax
$m
1,682
634
2,316
524
2,840
6,423
9,264
Profit margin
%
7.3
3.9
5.9
4.2
5.5
15.4
9.9

Source: Australian Industry, Australia (8155.0); Labour Force Estimates (6203.0).


Summary by State

Selected statistics by State show that New South Wales had the largest share of construction activity in 1998-99, due to the preparations for the Olympic Games (table 20.2).

20.2 CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, Summary of Performance by State - 1998-99

NSW
Vic
Qld
SA
WA
Tas
NT
ACT
Australia
$m
$m
$m
$m
$m
$m
$m
$m
$m

Operating income
General construction
20,564
10,208
10,905
2,874
4,957
537
479
1,249
51,773
Construction trade services
15,521
9,345
8,119
2,710
4,294
539
469
790
41,787
Operating expenses
General construction
19,634
9,588
10,193
2,378
4,638
505
453
1,188
48,577
Construction trade services
13,509
7,863
6,759
2,331
3,434
434
359
654
35,343
Operating profit before
tax
3,064
2,122
1,963
485
1,168
136
138
190
9,264
Labour Costs
5,281
2,965
2,557
752
1,446
159
113
265
13,537

Note: estimates in tables 20.1 and 20.2 differ marginally due to differences in the timing of their production.

Source: Experimental Estimates: Australian Industry, a State Perspective, Australia (8156.0).





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