Engagement in employment, education and training (EETP)

Latest release
Census of Population and Housing: Census dictionary
Reference period
2021

Definition

This variable indicates whether a person is engaged or not engaged in work and/or study. Data can be used to better understand groups of interest, such as youth, or people approaching retirement age, by analysing by age cohorts.

Scope

Persons aged 15 years and over

Categories

CodeCategory
1Fully engaged
11Fully engaged - Engaged through full-time study and full-time employment
12Fully engaged - Primarily engaged through full-time study
13Fully engaged - Primarily engaged through full-time employment
14Fully engaged - Engaged through part-time study and part-time employment
15Fully engaged - Engaged other
2Partially engaged
21Partially engaged - Engaged in part-time study only
22Partially engaged - Engaged in part-time work only
3At least partially engaged
31At least partially engaged
4Not engaged
41Not engaged
&Engagement status undetermined/not stated
&&Engagement status undetermined/not stated
@Not applicable
@@Not applicable
VOverseas visitor
VVOverseas visitor

Number of categories:

  • One digit: 7
  • Two digit: 12

Not applicable (@@) comprises:

  • Persons aged under 15 years

See Understanding supplementary codes for more information.

Question(s) from the Census form

What is the person’s date of birth and age?

What is the person’s date of birth and age?
What is Person 1's date of birth? If date of birth is not known, please select 'Don't know date of birth' and provide Person 1's age. More information Day Month Year OR Don't know date of birth Age

Example

Example response to the question: What is the person’s date of birth and age? Don't know response selected

Example

What is Person 1's date of birth? If date of birth is not known, please select 'Don't know date of birth' and provide Person 1's age. More information Day Month Year OR Don't know date of birth (selected response) Age years

Example

Age example

Example

What is Person 1's date of birth? If date of birth is not known, please select 'Don't know date of birth' and provide Person 1's age. More information Day Month Year 18 March 1993 OR Don't know date of birth Age 28 years

More information

Additional information relating to the question: What is the person’s date of birth and age?

More information

What is Person 1's date of birth? If date of birth is not known, please select 'Don't know date of birth' and provide Person 1's age. More information It is important to note: •Date of birth is the date that the person was born. •Age is required only if the person's date of birth is not known. Please report age at Census night – Tuesday 10 August 2021. If the person is less than one year old and their date of birth is not known, enter '0' in the age box.

Is the person attending a school or other education institution?

Is the person attending a school or other education institution?
Is Person 1 attending a school or any other education institution? Include tertiary education and vocational education and training providers (e.g. TAFE and private training providers). Include external, online or correspondence study. More information Person's school attendance No Yes, full-time student Yes, part-time student

More Information

Additional information relating to the question on: . Did the person actively look for work at any time in the last four weeks?

More Information

Is Person 1 attending a school or any other education institution? Include tertiary education and vocational education and training providers (e.g. TAFE and private training providers). Include external, online or correspondence study. More information Select full-time student or part-time student based on whether the institution considers the person to be a full-time or part-time student. For a person who attends only hobby or recreational courses, select 'No'. If the person is currently studying at home because of lockdowns or other COVID-related reasons, but usually attends a school or other education institution, select one of the 'Yes' options.

Last week, did the person have a job of any kind?

Last week, did the person have a job of any kind?
Last week, did Person 1 have a job of any kind? A ‘job’ means any type of work including casual, temporary, part-time or full-time work, if it was for one hour or more. More information Person's job last week Yes, worked for payment or profit Yes, but absent on holidays, on paid leave, on strike, or temporarily stood down Yes, unpaid work in a family business Yes, other unpaid work No, did not have a job

More information

Additional information relating to the question on: Last week, did the person have a job of any kind?

More information

Last week, did Person 1 have a job of any kind? A ‘job’ means any type of work including casual, temporary, part-time or full-time work, if it was for one hour or more. More information Last week refers to the week before Census night – Tuesday 10 August 2021. People who did some work for which they will receive some payment (including casual, temporary or part-time work) and it was for one hour or more in the last week select the 'Yes, worked for payment or profit' response. People not working due to a COVID lockdown... • who worked at all in the four weeks before the current lockdown, select 'Yes, but absent on holidays, on paid leave, on strike, or temporarily stood down'. • who did not work in the four weeks before the current lockdown, select 'No, did not have a job'. People on paid leave, for example holiday leave, maternity leave or sick leave, should select 'Yes, but absent on holidays, on paid leave, on strike, or temporarily stood down'. People who have been on unpaid leave... • for less than four weeks and are not being paid, select ‘Yes, but absent on holidays, on paid leave, on strike, or temporarily stood down'. • for four weeks or more and are not being paid, select 'No, did not have a job'. People who are on workers' compensation and... • are planning to return to work, select ‘Yes, but absent on holidays, on paid leave, on strike, or temporarily stood down'. • won't be returning to work, select 'No, did not have a job'. People working for the dole are considered not to be in paid work and should select 'No, did not have a job'. People who are casual or freelance workers and... • worked in the week before Census night, select 'Yes, worked for payment or profit'. • did not work last week but worked at some stage in the four weeks before Census night, select ‘Yes, but absent on holidays, on paid leave, on strike, or temporarily stood down'. • did not work in the four weeks before Census night, select 'No, did not have a job'. People who work from home and... • get paid, select the appropriate 'Yes' response. • do not get paid, select 'No, did not have a job'. Retired people should select 'No, did not have a job'. This also applies to people who have never had a job.

In the main job held last week, was the person: Working for an employer; Working in own business

This question is only applicable for people aged 15 years and over who responded 'Yes, worked for payment or profit' or 'Yes, but absent on holidays, on paid leave, on strike, or temporarily stood down' to the previous question, 'Last week, did the person have a job of any kind?'

In the main job held last week, was Person 1: Working for an employer, Working in own business
In the main job held last week, was Person 1: If the person had more than one job last week, then ‘main job’ refers to the job in which the person usually works the most hours. For all persons conducting their own business, including those with their own incorporated (e.g. Pty Ltd) company, as well as sole traders, partnerships and contractors, select ‘Working in own business’. Person's type of employment Working for an employer Working in own business

Last week, how many hours did the person work in all jobs?

Last week, how many hours did the person work in all jobs?
Last week, how many hours did Person 1 work in all jobs? Add any overtime or extra time worked and subtract any time off. More information Hours worked

More information

Additional instructions relating to the question on: Last week, how many hours did the person work in all jobs?

More information

Last week, how many hours did Person 1 work in all jobs? Add any overtime or extra time worked and subtract any time off. More information Include all hours the person worked for all jobs, even if those hours are not the hours they usually work. Include any overtime and hours spent working at home. Do not include time off work, for example, sick leave or annual leave. If the person did not work any hours, please enter '0'.

Did the person actively look for work at any time in the last four weeks?

Did the person actively look for work at any time in the last four weeks?
Did Person 1 actively look for work at any time in the last four weeks? Full-time work means 35 hours or more per week. Examples of actively looking for work include: • Writing, telephoning or applying to an employer for work • Having a job interview • Checking or registering with an employment agency • Taking steps to purchase or start a business • Advertising or tendering for work • Contacting friends or relatives in order to obtain work • Answering an advertisement for a job More information Whether person looked for work No, did not look for work Yes, looked for full-time work Yes, looked for part-time work

More information

Additional information relating to the question on: . Did the person actively look for work at any time in the last four weeks?

More information

Did Person 1 actively look for work at any time in the last four weeks? Full-time work means 35 hours or more per week. Examples of actively looking for work include: • Writing, telephoning or applying to an employer for work • Having a job interview • Checking or registering with an employment agency • Taking steps to purchase or start a business • Advertising or tendering for work • Contacting friends or relatives in order to obtain work • Answering an advertisement for a job More information All people who are not looking for work, including retired people, should select 'No, did not look for work'. Select 'No, did not look for work' if the person only looked in newspapers, on the internet or checked notice boards, and did not take any of the active steps listed in the question.

If the person had found a job, could the person have started work last week?

If the person had found a job, could the person have started work last week?
If Person 1 had found a job, could they have started work last week? Whether person could have started work last week Yes, could have started work last week No, already had a job to go to No, temporarily ill or injured No, other reason

This question is only applicable to people aged 15 years and over who responded 'Yes, looked for full-time work' or 'Yes, looked for part-time work' to the previous question, 'Did the person actively look for work at any time in the last four weeks?'

How this variable is created

Data is derived from the following variables:

  • Labour force status and hours worked not stated (LFHRP)
  • Full-time/part-time student status (STUP)
  • Age (AGEP)

The variables are cross tabulated to identify the type of engagement in work and/or study. Further information is shown in the matrix in the Data downloads section below. 

History and changes

This variable was first reported in 2016.

In 2021, the categories have been expanded to provide a more detailed breakdown for 'fully engaged' and 'partially engaged'. This is required for several national reporting measures and allows for more complex analysis.

Data use considerations

For the 2006 and 2011 Censuses, data for this variable can be derived based on existing data items.

People are included in the variable categories according to the criteria below:

Engagement in Employment, Education and Training categoriesPeople included in this category

Fully engaged

People engaged in full-time work or study

People engaged in both work and study (regardless of hours for each)

Partially engaged

People employed or studying part-time (and not engaged in both work and study)

Examples:

  • Employed part-time and not attending an educational institution
  • Studying part-time and either unemployed or not in the labour force

At least partially engaged

People engaged in study or in the labour force, but did not provide enough information to determine if they were fully or partially engaged.

Example:

  • Person who was studying part-time but who did not state their labour force status

Not engaged

People who are unemployed or not in the labour force (and not attending an educational institution)

Engagement status undetermined/Not stated

People who did not state their student status and who were either unemployed or not in the labour force.

This category also includes persons who were non-responding (not stated) for both their student status and their labour force status

This variable does not have a non-response rate as it is created during Census processing by using responses from more than one question on the Census form. 

Related variables and glossary terms

Downloads

National reporting indicators 2021

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