Government Administration and Defence
Age by Industry
Age by Occupation
Age by Education
Age by Working Arrangements
Age by Industry Trends
Age by Industry
The average age (mean) of the Government Administration and Defence industry is 39.8 years. The chart below displays the age distribution of workers in Government Administration and Defence. The largest proportion of workers are in the 45 to 49 year age group (14.8 per cent), followed 40 to 44 years (14.5 per cent).
AGE BY INDUSTRY
Government Administration and Defence
Age grouping
ABS (2001) Labour Force Australia
Projections of the age profile of the Government Administration and Defence industry against the age profile of the population in ten years time, shows that there could be considerable variation between these two profiles. Most noticeable is the diversion at the 20 to 24 years and 55 years and over age groups, demonstrating a higher proportional concentration of people aged 25 to 55 years compared to the Australia population.
Government Administration & Defence
Workforce Population Age Profile Year 2004
Age by Occupation
The oldest employees within Government Administration and Defence are Elementary
Clerical, Sales, and Service Workers, aged 44.2 years on average and Managers
and Administrators, aged 43.3 years. The youngest groups are Trade-persons and
Related Workers, aged 32.9 years.
AGE BY OCCUPATION
Government Administration & Defence
Occupation
ABS (2001) Labour Force Australia
Age by Education
While the level of education and training undertaken by employees with the Government Administration and Defence sector is comparably high, the currency of skills has an impact on the industry’s capacity to be innovative and efficient into the future. Forty per cent of all workers in Government Administration and Defence have not post-secondary education. When compared to other industries this proportion is low, demonstrating a high level of learning and development across the sector. The majority of the workers, who do hold a post-secondary qualification, have a bachelor degree level qualification (21.1 per cent). Five per cent more people aged 45 years and over have graduate and postgraduate degrees, with 7.4 per cent of younger people and 12.4 per cent of older people. Despite the high level of qualifications across the sector, only twenty-seven per cent of workers aged 45 years and over obtained them after 1990, with over half obtaining their qualifications before 1980. For workers aged less than 45 years, 69.6 per cent had completed their qualification after to 1990.
| Highest Qualification | 15 to 44yrs | 45yrs and over | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate Degree Level | 3.7% | 6.7% | 4.8% |
| Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate Level | 3.7% | 5.7% | 4.5% |
| Bachelor Degree Level | 22.7% | 18.4% | 21.1% |
| Advanced Diploma and Diploma Level | 9.3% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Certificate Level | 15.9% | 14.3% | 15.3% |
| No Post-secondary Education | 40.0% | 39.7% | 39.9% |
| Other | 4.6% | 5.0% | 4.7% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Year completed qualification | 15 to 44yrs | 45yrs and over | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1971 | 20.8% | 7.7% | |
| 1971-1980 | 5.7% | 33.0% | 15.8% |
| 1981-1985 | 11.4% | 11.3% | 11.3% |
| 1986-1990 | 13.4% | 7.7% | 11.3% |
| 1991-1995 | 26.3% | 11.9% | 21.0% |
| 1996-1997 | 13.0% | 6.3% | 10.5% |
| 1998-1999 | 16.2% | 5.6% | 12.3% |
| 2000-2001 | 14.1% | 3.4% | 10.1% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Age by Working Arrangements
The working arrangements of employees within Government Administration and Defence are variable, with only one in five workers employed on a standard 40 hour week basis. One in ten workers aged 45 years and over and one in eight workers aged under 45 years are employed less than 25 hours a week. Reflecting the trend towards longer working hours during the past 20 years, approximately 28 per cent of workers in this industry are employed for more than 40 hours a week.
| Year completed qualification | 15 to 44yrs | 45yrs and over | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-15 hours | 4.5% | 4.6% | 4.5% |
| 16-24 hours | 7.9% | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| 25-34 hours | 6.9% | 7.6% | 7.1% |
| 35-39 hours | 31.0% | 31.6% | 31.2% |
| 40 hours | 22.7% | 20.4% | 21.9% |
| 41-48 hours | 14.6% | 14.8% | 14.7% |
| 49 or more hours | 12.4% | 15.2% | 13.4% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Age by Industry Trends
The effects of an ageing population may be particularly felt in Government Administration and Defence sector for several reasons. The age profile of the workforce is older than that of other industries, so factors such as the bulk retirement of senior staff are likely to come into play sooner in the Government Administration and Defence than in other industries. Generous superannuation provisions through the now-closed Commonwealth Superannuation Scheme (CSS) make it financially attraction for older scheme members to leave just prior to their 55th birthday. This incentive encourages early retirement and could see many of these older workers leave the sector, taking their organisational knowledge and experience elsewhere. For example, almost a quarter of the Australian Public Service workforce is likely to leave over the next five years. To respond to this challenge flexible work options in the sector will need to be more widespread.
The provision of appropriate services for an ageing population is also of particular concern for governments, with a wide range of portfolio areas affected by demographic change. Directly this includes health care, pensions, housing services for the aged, including carers; income security policies and programs, services for people with disabilities, community support services, the settlement of migrants, the international competitiveness of Australian industries, economic, fiscal and monetary policy and taxation.
Source:
Australian Government Departments and Agencies (2004) http://www.gold.gov.au/quicklinks
Australian Public Service Commission (2003) New challenges for the Australian Public Service
