Health and Community Services
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 Health and Community Services industry is 41.1 years. The chart below displays the age distribution of workers in Health and Community Services. The largest proportion of workers are in the 40 to 44 year age group (16.2 per cent), followed 45 to 49 years (14.9 per cent).
AGE BY INDUSTRY
Health & Community Services
Age grouping
ABS (2001) Labour Force Australia
Year 2014 projections of the age profile of the Health and Community Services 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 at 45 to 55 years, where there is a huge proportional concentration of workers, compared to the Australian population.
Health & Community Services
Workforce Population Age Profile Year 2004
Age by Occupation
The oldest employees within Health and Community Services are, Intermediate
Production and Transport Workers aged 45.5 years on average, followed by
Labourers and Related Workers, with an average age of 44.1 years. The youngest
group is Intermediate Clerical, Sales and Service Workers, 39.4 years.
AGE BY OCCUPATION
Health & Community Services
Occupation
ABS (2001) Labour Force Australia
Age by Education
The level and currency of post-secondary qualifications held by workers within Health and Community Services demonstrates the ability of the industry to sustain its productivity into the future. Thirty-two per cent of all workers in Health and Community Services have not post-secondary education. The majority of the workers, who do hold a post-secondary qualification, have a bachelor degree level qualification (27 per cent). Proportionally 8 per cent more younger people have attained this level of qualification compared to older people. Younger people aged 15 to 44 years, have a greater proportion of workers who have obtained qualifications. 70 per cent of people in this age group have qualifications, compared to 65.5 per cent of workers aged 45 years and over. Sixty per cent of workers aged 45 years and over who hold post-secondary qualifications, obtained them before 1980. For workers aged less than 45 years, 33 per cent had completed their qualification prior to 1990.
| Highest Qualification | 15 to 44yrs | 45yrs and over | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate Degree Level | 3.8% | 5.0% | 4.3% |
| Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate Level | 3.7% | 2.9% | 3.4% |
| Bachelor Degree Level | 30.0% | 22.0% | 26.8% |
| Advanced Diploma and Diploma Level | 11.8% | 13.2% | 12.4% |
| Certificate Level | 13.5% | 12.7% | 13.1% |
| No Post-secondary Education | 30.0% | 34.5% | 31.8% |
| Other | 7.2% | 9.7% | 8.2% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Year completed qualification | 15 to 44yrs | 45yrs and over | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1971 | 26.7% | 10.2% | |
| 1971-1980 | 7.7% | 33.0% | 17.4% |
| 1981-1985 | 11.7% | 7.2% | 10.0% |
| 1986-1990 | 13.9% | 7.0% | 11.2% |
| 1991-1995 | 23.2% | 9.7% | 18.1% |
| 1996-1997 | 12.9% | 4.9% | 9.9% |
| 1998-1999 | 16.4% | 6.5% | 12.6% |
| 2000-2001 | 14.1% | 5.0% | 10.6% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Age by Working Arrangements
The working arrangements of employees within Health and Community Services are highly variable, with close to one in five workers employed on a standard 40 hour week basis. Eighteen per cent of workers in this industry are employed for more than 40 hours a week. Almost two-thirds of the all workers in this industry (64 per cent) however, work for less than 40 hours a week, indicating a high level of flexibility across the sector.
| Year completed qualification | 15 to 44yrs | 45yrs and over | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-15 hours | 13.7% | 10.9% | 12.5% |
| 16-24 hours | 15.8% | 16.2% | 16.0% |
| 25-34 hours | 16.9% | 18.8% | 17.7% |
| 35-39 hours | 18.1% | 17.3% | 17.8% |
| 40 hours | 18.2% | 18.0% | 18.1% |
| 41-48 hours | 7.9% | 7.2% | 7.6% |
| 49 or more hours | 9.4% | 11.6% | 10.3% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Age by Industry Trends
The Health and Community Services industry has projected employment to grow 20 per cent over the next 6 years. At present, there are already skill shortage across a number of health professions, including nursing. Population ageing will intensify the problem with a shrinking labour growth.
There is extensive debate today about the health costs to the nation associated with an ageing population. Today, people aged 45 and over spend one third more medical care and health services than younger people. The 45 to 54 year age group the highest expenders at $44 weekly. The Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing suggest that continually rising health expenditures as the population ages is not inevitable. This relationship depends on a wide range of factors that affect health services including the demand for health services, the types of health services delivered, advances in medical science and the cost of supplying services causing the increased public health outlays.
Source:
ABS (1999) Household Expenditure Survey, ABS Cat. No. 6530.0 Commonwealth Department
of Education, Science and Training (2004) Engaging The Untapped Workforce: Training Solutions For The Community Services And Health Industry
Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (2000) Ageing Gracefully: An Overview of the Economic Implications of Australia's Ageing Population Profile
