8693.0 - Consultant Engineering Services, Australia, 1995-96  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 14/10/1997   
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MEDIA RELEASE

October 14, 1997
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
134/1997

ABS survey shows profit up in engineering consulting

The profitability of Australia's consulting engineering industry was 11 per cent in June 1996, an increase of 4.3 per cent since 1993, according to ABS data released today.
The Bureau's figures, published in Consultant Engineering Services Industry, Australia 1995-96, showed there were 5,514 businesses in the industry at June 1996. These firms employed 30,736 people and had 8,212 contract and agency staff at the end of June 1996.

Overall employment in the industry rose 21 per cent since June 1993, with the number of contract and agency staff more than doubling from 3,954 to 8,212. Seventy-seven per cent of the industry's employees were male while 83 per cent of all staff worked full-time.

These businesses generated $3,233 million in income. Sources of income were evenly spread over the different fields of consultant engineering services. Civil engineering services, which accounted for 16 per cent of total income, was the largest contributor, followed by mining and geotechnical services (14 per cent) and building/structural engineering services (12 per cent).

During the period 1995-96, businesses in this industry incurred $2,736 million in expenses. The major item of expenditure was labour costs which accounted for 45 per cent ($1,242 million) of total industry expenses. Payments made to contract and agency staff accounted for a further 18 per cent ($499 million) of total expenses.

At the end of June 1996, 98 per cent of businesses in the industry employed less than 20 people. These businesses accounted for 45 per cent (13,972) of people employed in the industry and generated 31 per cent ($989 million) of total income.

Businesses operating in the consultant engineering services industry were concentrated in New South Wales and Victoria. They accounted for 60 per cent of industry employment and 57 per cent of the total income. Queensland accounted for 18 per cent of employment and 18 per cent of industry income.

Details are in Consultant Engineering Services Industry, Australia 1995-96 (cat. no. 8693.0) available from ABS bookshops.