Characteristics of Employment, Australia

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Weekly earnings of employees classified by full-time/part-time workers, employment characteristics, fixed-term/independent contracts

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Reference period
August 2020
Released
11/12/2020
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Key statistics

  • Median employee earnings have increased $50 (4.5%) to $1,150 per week since Aug 2019.
  • 2.3 million casual employees (22% of employees), down from 2.6 million (24%) in Feb 2020.
  • 1.0 million independent contractors (8.2% of employment).
  • 14.3% of employees (1 million) were trade union members, down from 40% in 1992.

From August 2020, statistics from the Characteristics of Employment survey are now published in three topic-based releases. See:

Characteristics of Employment data for 2014 to 2020 will be available in TableBuilder from 16 December 2020. TableBuilder enables the creation of customised tables and graphs.

Data downloads

These Characteristics of Employment spreadsheets are also available in the Data downloads section of the relevant Employee earnings, Working arrangements and Trade union membership releases.

Table 1a - Median earnings for employees by sex, state and full-time or part-time, 2004–2020

Data files
Download xls [356.5 KB]

Table 1b - Median earnings for employees by sex, state and status of employment, 2004–2020

Data files
Download xls [352.5 KB]

Table 1c - Median earnings for employees by state, full-time or part-time and status of employment, 2004–2020

Data files
Download xls [308 KB]

Table 1d - Median earnings by full-time or part-time, state and trade union members in main job, 2004–2020

Data files
Download xls [266.5 KB]

Table 2 - Median earnings for employees by demographic characteristics and full-time or part-time

Data files
Download xls [205 KB]

Table 3 - Distribution of earnings for employees by industry

Data files
Download xls [308 KB]

Table 4 - Distribution of earnings for employees by occupation and skill level

Data files
Download xls [185 KB]

Table 5 - Distribution of earnings for employees by educational qualification

Data files
Download xls [172.5 KB]

Table 6 - Median earnings for employees by industry, occupation and educational qualification

Data files
Download xls [218.5 KB]

Table 7 - Median earnings for employees and OMIEs by working arrangements

Data files
Download xls [255.5 KB]

Table 8 - Median earnings for employees and OMIEs by demographic characteristics

Data files
Download xls [279 KB]

Table 9 - Form of employment by demographic characteristics

Data files
Download xls [225.5 KB]

Table 10 - Form of employment by industry, occupation and educational qualification

Data files
Download xls [228 KB]

Table 11 - Independent contractors by whether had authority over own work, industry and occupation

Data files
Download xls [158.5 KB]

Table 12 - Median earnings for employees by duration (length) of current trade union membership

Data files
Download xls [186.5 KB]

Table 13 - Median earnings for employees by status of labour hire and demographic characteristics

Data files
Download xls [255 KB]

Table 14 - Median earnings for employees by trade union membership

Data files
Download xls [222 KB]

All 2020 data cubes

Data files
Download zip [1019.04 KB]

Historical data: Table 2 - Median earnings for employees by demographic characteristics and full-time or part-time

Data files
Download zip [313.57 KB]

Historical data: Table 3 - Distribution of earnings for employees by industry

Data files
Download zip [462.9 KB]

Historical data: Table 4 - Distribution of earnings for employees by occupation and skill level

Data files
Download zip [278.88 KB]

Historical data: Table 5 - Distribution of earnings for employees by educational qualification

Data files
Download zip [251.72 KB]

Historical data: Table 6 - Median earnings for employees by industry, occupation and educational qualification

Data files
Download zip [298.66 KB]

Historical data: Table 7 - Median earnings for employees and OMIEs by working arrangements

Data files
Download zip [248 KB]

Historical data: Table 8 - Median earnings for employees and OMIEs by demographic characteristics

Data files
Download zip [326.8 KB]

Historical data: Table 9 - Form of employment by demographic characteristics

Data files
Download zip [270.96 KB]

Historical data: Table 10 - Form of employment by industry, occupation and educational qualification

Data files
Download zip [330.19 KB]

Historical data: Table 11 - Independent contractors by whether had authority over own work, industry and occupation

Data files
Download zip [97.66 KB]

Historical data: Table 12 - Median earnings for employees by duration (length) of current trade union membership

Data files
Download zip [114.72 KB]

Historical data: Table 13 - Median earnings for employees by status of labour hire and demographic characteristics

Data files
Download zip [160.13 KB]

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 6333.0*.

Prior to 2014, statistics related to employee earnings, trade union membership and working arrangements were published in:

 

*Note: Catalogue number 6333.0 was previously used for Working Conditions, Australia (Preliminary), Feb to May 1979. 

Methodology

Characteristics of Employment, Australia methodology, August 2020

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