Demographics
In 2018, most (87%) of Australia’s welfare workforce was female. This has remained relatively unchanged since 2008 (90% in 2008). By comparison, 47% of the total workforce in 2018 was female (ABS 2018).
In 2018, the average age of the welfare workforce was 41.2 years, a slight reduction from 41.7 years in 2008. This is due to an increase in the proportion of the workforce under the age of 35. Child care workers were the occupational group with the youngest average age (35.5 years), nearly 6 years younger than the average age for the total welfare workforce.
In 2018, 2.8% of the welfare workforce identified as being an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australian, compared with 2.4% in 2008. Of all welfare workforce occupations, welfare support workers had the highest proportion identifying as Indigenous at 7.7%.
Working hours and pay
In 2018, 351,000 people in the welfare workforce were employed part time (ABS 2019b). Part-time workers made up 64% of the welfare workforce in 2018, similar to 2008 (63%). By comparison, part-time workers made up 32% of the total workforce in 2018 (ABS 2018). Nearly three-quarters (73%) of care workers in the aged and disability sectors worked part time, and were the occupation type most likely to do so. Social workers were least likely to be employed part time (40%).
In May 2018, the average weekly earnings of the welfare workforce was lower than that of the same occupations working in other industries—$838.90 compared with $1,106.40 respectively (Figure 3). However, average weekly earnings for the welfare workforce increased by 17% from August 2008 ($719.60 in real terms). The welfare workforce was also paid less per hour compared with the same occupations working in other industries ($32.02 per hour compared with $41.28 per hour). Registered nurses had the highest average earnings per hour of the selected occupations in the welfare workforce in 2018 ($48.87 per hour) while child care workers had the lowest ($25.13 per hour).