WHAT'S NEW AT ABS ...

Service industries statistics newsletter, Nov 2008
Education and training matters, Dec 2008
Prisoners in Australia, 2008
Methodological news, Dec 2008
Population by age and sex, Australian states and territories, Jun 2008
Employment arrangements, retirement and superannuation
Estimates of personal income for small areas, 2001-02 to 2005-06
Environment and energy news, Dec 2008
Agricultural survey, apples and pears, Australia, 2007-08
ABS agriculture statistics collection strategy
International trade in goods industry statistics
Household use of information technology, Australia, 2007-08
Job Search Experience, Australia, July 2008
Motor Vehicle Census, Australia, 31 March 2008
Changes to the ABS survey program
ABS release information
Queensland theme page

SERVICE INDUSTRIES STATISTICS NEWSLETTER, NOVEMBER 2008

Service Industries Statistics Newsletter, Nov 2008 (cat. no. 8601.0) was released 10 December 2008. This newsletter provides information on recent service industries related issues and updates, describes ABS work related to service industries statistics, advises on recent ABS publications and informs users about forthcoming Service Industries publications.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING MATTERS, DECEMBER 2008

Education and Training Matters, Dec 2008 (cat. no. 4211.0) was released 10 December 2008. Education and Training Matters is a biannual publication of the National Centre for Education and Training Statistics (NCETS). It aims to keep readers informed of developments in education and training statistics and of current projects being undertaken by NCETS.

PRISONERS IN AUSTRALIA, 2008

Prisoners in Australia, 2008 (cat. no. 4517.0) was released 11 December 2008. This publication contains national information on prisoners who were in custody on 30 June each year. The statistics are derived from information collected by the ABS from corrective services agencies in each state and territory. Details are provided on the number of people in correctional institutions (including people on remand), imprisonment rates, most serious offence and sentence length. A range of information is also presented on prisoner characteristics (age, sex, Indigenous status) and on the type of prisoner (all prisoners, sentenced prisoners, and unsentenced prisoners (remandees)).

Some selected results for Queensland at 30 June 2008 include:

• There were 5,544 prisoners in Queensland prisons of which over half (58%) have served a sentence in an adult prison prior to their current incarceration.
• Females accounted for 7.7% of the prison population and the median age of all prisoners was 32.9 years.
• Nearly one-quarter (22%) of all prisoners were on remand.
• All states and territories except Queensland recorded increased imprisonment rates in the 10 year period from 1998. Queensland decreased by 1.6% (from 172 to 169 prisoners per 100,000 adults).
• The median aggregate sentence length of Queensland prisoners was 3.0 years although 21% had an aggregate sentence of 5 to under 10 years and 11% had an aggregate sentence of 10 years or more.
• Over one-quarter (27%) of Queensland prisoners were Indigenous and Indigenous people were 11 times more likely to be in prison than non-Indigenous people.

METHODOLOGICAL NEWS, DECEMBER 2008

Methodological News, Dec 2008 (cat. no. 1504.0) was released 12 December 2008. The Methodological News is a quarterly information bulletin from the Methodology and Data Management Division. The newsletter features articles and developments in relation to work done with the division.

POPULATION BY AGE AND SEX, AUSTRALIAN STATES AND TERRITORIES, JUNE 2008

Population by Age and Sex, Australian States and Territories, Jun 2008 (cat. no. 3201.0) was released 15 December 2008. This publication contains estimates of the resident population of Australian states and territories as at 30 June of each reference year. Estimates up to 2006 are final, based on the results of the 2006 Census of Population and Housing. Estimates from 2007 onwards are preliminary.

Some selected results for Queensland at 30 June 2008 include:

• In the 12 months to June 2008 the Queensland population increased by 98,000 people, reaching 4,279,400.
• The number of Queensland children aged 0-14 years was 861,000 and represented 20% of the population.
• The number of people aged 15-64 years (working age population) was 2,891,600 and represented 68% of the population.
• The number of people aged 65 years and over was 526,800 and represented 12% of the population.
• The median age of the Queensland population was 36.3 years.

EMPLOYMENT ARRANGEMENTS, RETIREMENT AND SUPERANNUATION

Employment Arrangements, Retirement and Superannuation; State Tables, Apr to Jul 2007 (cat. no. 6361.0.55.003) was released 15 December 2008. These tables present results from the Survey of Employment Arrangements, Retirement and Superannuation by selected socio-demographic characteristics. They contain information about people's employment arrangements such as type of worker (eg employees, owner managers); job duration and expected job duration; working patterns; extra paid and unpaid hours worked; and people's work preferences. Information is included about people's caring responsibilities and how work is balanced with caring responsibilities. Issues such as people's plans for retirement, why people retire and why some people return to work after retiring are examined. Information is also presented on whether people are contributing to superannuation (through personal, employer and/or spouse contributions), whether they are receiving a pension or annuity from superannuation, and the characteristics of people with different types of superannuation coverage.

Some selected results for Queensland include:

• Nearly one-third (31%) of Queensland's 2,121,100 employed persons usually work some or all hours from home.
• Eight out of ten (80%) or 1,697,900 employed persons reported sometimes, often or always feeling rushed or pressed for time. Of these 33% reported work and family responsibilities as the main reason for feeling rushed or pressed for time and a further 21% reported the pressure of work/study.
• Around one in five (22%) of employed persons work more than 49 hours a week.

ESTIMATES OF PERSONAL INCOME FOR SMALL AREAS, 2001-02 TO 2005-06

Estimates of Personal Income for Small Areas, 2001-02 to 2005-06 (cat. no. 6524.0.55.002) was released 17 December 2008. This release contains data cubes (excel spreadsheets) containing estimates of the sources and amount of personal income people received for the years 2001-02 to 2005-06, for Statistical Local Areas and other geographies (LGA, SSD, SD, State/Territory and Australia).

The estimates have been compiled using aggregated individual income tax data from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The compilation of these data are part of the ABS' program to increase the availability of regional statistics, particularly through the use of administrative data collected by other government agencies. The ABS wishes to acknowledge the invaluable support of the ATO in compiling these statistics.

There are ten data cubes, two for each financial year from 2001-02 to 2005-06, which provide a breakdown of personal income by the following sources - wage & salary, own unincorporated business, investment, superannuation and annuities, other income (excluding government pensions and allowances) and total income (excluding government pensions and allowances).

As the economic wellbeing of most individuals in Australia is largely determined by the amount of income they receive, these data provide valuable information about relative advantage and disadvantage in regions and indicate the level of financial resources available for the population in a region.

Some selected results for Queensland include:

• Total personal income from all sources (excluding government pensions and allowances) for Queensland in 2005-06 was $83,027 million.
• Wage and salary income accounted for 80% of total personal income.
• Nearly one million (996,600) Queenslanders received a total of $7,544 million in investment income in 2005-06.
• The Local Government Areas having the highest total personal income from all sources (excluding government pensions and allowances) in 2005-06 were Brisbane (C) with $25,189 million and Gold Coast (C) with $9,838 million.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY NEWS, DECEMBER 2008

The latest edition of Environment and Energy News, Dec 2008 (cat. no. 4653.0), the newsletter of the ABS Centre of Environment and Energy Statistics (CEES) was released 16 December 2008. Environment and Energy News is published twice a year, highlighting developments in environment and energy statistics particularly at the ABS. It includes topical articles and advice on recent and upcoming environment and energy releases.

Interested readers are also invited to visit the Environment and Energy theme page on the ABS website.

AGRICULTURAL SURVEY, APPLES AND PEARS, AUSTRALIA, 2007-08

Agricultural Survey, Apples and Pears, Australia, 2007-08 (cat. no. 7121.0.55.002) was released 17 December 2008. This publication presents final estimates from the ABS Apples and Pears collection, 2008. Not all data from this collection are published here. Further data, including small area data, are available on application to the ABS.

Some selected results for Queensland include:

• Estimates for 2007-08 show the number of apple trees to be 1,000,700 of which 93% were of fruit bearing age (4 years and over). The production of apples in 2007-08 was 35,500 tonnes.
• Of all the states and territories, Queensland had the highest yield of apples at 38.2 kilograms per tree of bearing age.
• In 2007-08 there were 24,300 pear trees in Queensland of which 58% were of fruit bearing age (6 years and over). The production of pears was 700 tonnes.
• The Queensland yield for pears of 46.1 kilograms per tree of bearing age was well below the national average (75.5).
• The quantity of apples sent for processing in 2007-08 was 3,700 tonnes.
• The cool storage capacity of apple and pear growers in Queensland was 22,500 tonnes.

ABS AGRICULTURE STATISTICS STRATEGY

ABS Agriculture Statistics Collection Strategy - 2008-09 and beyond, 2008-09 (cat. no. 7105.0) was released 17 December 2008. This information paper is the first of a series of three papers, which has been developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS) Land and Agriculture Statistics Section. It is based on a shared understanding of the key agricultural policy issue imperatives and areas of priority for statistical data development. It outlines proposed changes to the ABS Agricultural Survey program aimed at improving the statistical information base relevant to these priority areas.

Responses provided from consultations to date indicate that the identification of the priority areas is consistent with government policy directions. However, although the proposed survey program attempts to meet clients' needs, substantial additional funding is required if the ABS is to match the content and frequency required to inform the development of appropriate policy interventions.

The proposed survey program presented for discussion in this paper assumes a level of ABS funding that will allow the ABS to continue to run a survey program similar in size to the one that has been conducted over recent years. It is recognised that this proposed program still leaves many remaining priorities that are unable to be satisfied, principally because of budget constraints and provider load concerns.

Feedback and information obtained from stakeholders to date have assisted in the preparation and development of the agriculture statistics strategy. A second paper will be available shortly focussing on the details of the content for the 2008-09 Agriculture Survey. A third paper will look at the details of the survey program for 2009-10 onwards.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN GOODS INDUSTRY STATISTICS

Information Paper: Changes to International Trade in Goods Industry Statistics, July 2009 (cat. no. 5368.0.55.011) was released 18 December 2008. This information paper describes changes that will be made to Australian export and import goods statistics classified by industry. These changes will result from the implementation of the 2006 update to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC).

This paper advises the timing of the introduction of ANZSIC 2006 in export and import statistics and how ANZSIC 2006 and related correspondences can be accessed.

HOUSEHOLD USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, AUSTRALIA, 2007-08

Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2007-08 (cat. no. 8146.0) was released 18 December 2008. This publication presents statistics on household use of information technology. Data includes households with access to a home computer by selected characteristics, the type of internet connection and the teleworking arrangements of employed persons aged 15 years and over.

Some selected results for Queensland include:

• In 2007-08, 68% of Queensland's 1,615,000 households had home Internet access and 75% of households had access to a computer.
• There were 872,000 households in Queensland with broadband internet access at home. The dominant type of technology that the households used for broadband access was Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) at 71%. Cable connections accounted for a further 15%.
• During 2007-08, 72% of people aged 15 years or over accessed the Internet from any location. Home was the most popular location of Internet access with 66% of these people accessing the Internet from home. Work (33%) was reported as the next most common location for accessing the Internet.

JOB SEARCH EXPERIENCE, AUSTRALIA, JULY 2008

Job Search Experience, Australia, Jul 2008 (cat. no. 6222.0) was released 12 January 2009. This publication presents information about the experiences of unemployed people in seeking work, in terms of the steps they have taken to find work and the difficulties they have encountered in finding work. It also presents information about employed people who started their current job in the previous 12 months. For this group, data on the steps taken to attain work and current job details are provided. In addition, demographic information is provided for both of these groups.

Some selected results for Queensland include:

• In July 2008, there were 72,600 unemployed people, of which 42% were men.
• There were 354,900 job starters (employed people who had started their current job in the previous 12 months) at July 2008 and just over half (52%) of these were men.

MOTOR VEHICLE CENSUS, AUSTRALIA, 31 MARCH 2008

Motor Vehicle Census, Australia, 31 Mar 2008 (cat. no. 9309.0) was released 14 January 2009. This publication presents for each state and territory, the number of vehicles on register by type of vehicle (passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles, rigid trucks, articulated trucks, non-freight carrying trucks, buses and motor cycles), the year of manufacture, make, gross vehicle mass and fuel type.

Some selected results for Queensland include:

• There were 3.2 million motor vehicles registered in Queensland at 31 March 2008.
• The growth in the Queensland motor vehicle fleet exceeded that of other states. Registrations in Queensland at 31 March 2008 were 24% above those at 31 March 2003, an average annual growth rate of 4.5%.
• The average age of all vehicles registered in Queensland was 9.5 years.
• At 31 March 2008, 2.6 million vehicles were registered with a petrol fuel type (83% of the total vehicle fleet). Diesel fuel type accounted for a further 16%.
• Of the 3.2 million registered Queensland vehicles, passenger vehicles accounted for 73%, light commercial vehicles 18% and motor cycles 4.4%.

CHANGES TO THE ABS SURVEY PROGRAM

The ABS is facing a tight budget situation in 2008-09, which has led to a range of reductions in the ABS work program. The Australian Statistician, Brian Pink, has outlined a number of strategies to address the situation in the document Changes to the ABS survey program for 2008-09 on the ABS Website. Use the link to see what the implications are for the affected surveys or programs and how to get further information.

ABS RELEASE INFORMATION

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) website provides the expected release details for all statistical products due for publication in the coming six months.

The web page 'Releases Scheduled for the Next Six Months' is revised on the ABS website at the beginning of each month. This six-month forecasting is intended to keep clients informed about products and when they will become available.

All ABS core statistical and other statistical publications that usually have a catalogue number will be detailed as well as prominent non-statistical publications such as the ABS Annual Report and Australian Statistics Advisory Council Annual Report.

Access 'Releases Scheduled for the Next Six Months' from the ABS Home page via 'Future Releases' or use this link.

Information on all ABS product releases can also be accessed from ABS Release Advice. This web page also provides links to Previous Releases, Releases Scheduled for the Next Six Months and Main Economic Indicator Releases.

QUEENSLAND THEME PAGE

This page provides access to Queensland statistical information including statistical releases and links to non-ABS sources. A wide range of economic and social statistics is covered.