MEDIA RELEASE
April 17, 2009	Embargoed: 11.30 am (AEST)	22/2009

In August 2008, 1.8 million employees (19%) were trade union members in their main job according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The proportion of employees with trade union membership remained unchanged between August 2007 and August 2008.

The ABS also found that a higher proportion of public sector employees (42%) were trade union members when compared with private sector employees (14%), as were full-time employees (21%) compared with part-time employees (15%). The state with the highest proportion of employees who were trade union members was Tasmania (25%), while the lowest was Western Australia (14%).

Earnings in main job
Employees earned an average of $948 per week in their main job. Mean weekly earnings were $1,160 for full-time employees and $428 for part-time employees. Full-time female employees earned, on average, $1,005 compared with $1,246 for full-time male employees. Just over half (55%) of full-time male employees earned $1,000 or more per week compared with 40% of female employees.

Other findings on weekly earnings in main job included:

• Employees in the Australian Capital Territory had the highest mean weekly earnings ($1,138), while employees in Tasmania had the lowest ($814).
• The mining industry had the highest mean weekly earnings for all employees ($1,881), while accommodation and food services had the lowest ($474).
• The occupation group with the highest mean weekly earnings was managers ($1,419) while sales workers earned the least ($561).
• The age group with the highest mean weekly earnings for full-time employees was the 35-44 year old age group ($1,331), while the lowest was the 15-19 year old age group ($530).

Leave entitlements
Almost 1 in 4 employees* (24%) were not entitled to either paid holiday or paid sick leave in their main job. The age groups with the highest proportion of employees* without paid holiday or paid sick leave entitlements were 15-19 year olds (66%) and those aged 65 and over (47%).

More details are in Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Membership, Australia, August 2008 (cat. no. 6310.0).

Media Notes:

* Employees excluding owner managers of incorporated enterprises. Please ensure when reporting on ABS data that you attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.