Underemployment among working-age people with disability also varies by disability group. Nearly 1 in 6 people with intellectual disability (17% or 18,000) are underemployed compared with 1 in 17 (5.8% or 12,000) people with sensory and speech disability (ABS 2019).
Disability group
Disability group is a broad categorisation of disability. It is based on underlying health conditions and on impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions. It is not a diagnostic grouping, nor is there a one-to-one correspondence between a health condition and a disability group.
The ABS SDAC broadly groups disabilities depending on whether they relate to functioning of the mind or the senses, or to anatomy or physiology. Each disability group may refer to a single disability or be composed of a number of broadly similar disabilities. The SDAC identifies 6 separate groups based on the particular type of disability; these are:
- sensory and speech (sight, hearing, speech)
- intellectual (difficulty learning or understanding)
- physical (including breathing difficulties, chronic or recurrent pain, incomplete use of limbs and more)
- psychosocial (including nervous or emotional conditions, mental illness, memory problems, and social or behavioural difficulties)
- head injury, stroke or acquired brain injury
- other (restrictions in everyday activities due to other long-term conditions or ailments) (ABS 2019).
Reasons for not wanting to work more hours
‘No need/satisfied with current arrangements/retired (for now)’ was the most common reason among working-age people with and without disability (49% or 137,000 and 52% or 1.4 million respectively) (Table UNDEREMPLOYMENT.1). This was followed by:
- short-term illness or injury or long-term health condition or disability for those with disability (29% or 80,000 with disability compared with 1.2% or 32,000 without disability)
- home duties or caring for child(ren) (14% or 40,000 with disability compared with 24% or 638,000 without disability)
- studying/returning to studies for those without disability (11% or 31,000 with disability, compared with 26% or 684,000 without disability) (ABS 2019).
Table UNDEREMPLOYMENT.1: Reasons for not wanting to work more hours for employed people(a), by disability status, 2018 (%)
Reasons for not wanting to work more hours
|
With disability
|
Without disability
|
No need/satisfied with current arrangements/retired (for now)
|
49.4
|
51.5
|
Illness, injury, health condition or disability(b)
|
28.9
|
1.2
|
Studying/returning to studies
|
11.2
|
26.0
|
Home duties or caring for child(ren)(c)
|
14.5
|
24.2
|
Caring for ill/disabled/elderly person(s)
|
6.3
|
2.3
|
Other(d)
|
5.6
|
5.6
|
Total
|
100.0
|
100.0
|
(a) Aged 15–64 living in households who are employed, usually work 34 hours or less per week and would not like a job with more hours.
(b) Includes short-term illness or injury and long-term health condition or disability.
(c) Includes home duties and caring for child(ren).
(d) Includes permanently retired / will not work again, welfare payments / pension / allowance may be affected, moving house, taking holidays, pregnancy, and other reason.
Note: More than one reason for not wanting to work more hours may be reported.
Source: ABS 2019; see also Table UNDT4.
Underemployment case study
The 13th annual statistical report of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey reports on findings from waves 1 to 16. This includes information on the extent to which health conditions limit the amount of work an individual can do.
In the study, a moderate or severe work restriction is referred to as having a moderate or severe disability. The study found that among people aged 15 and over, people with moderate or severe disability:
- are less likely (53%) to work full-time than those without disability which restricts work (69%)
- are more likely (31%) to be part-time employed and not want to work more hours than those without disability which restricts work (20%)
- are more likely (16%) to be underemployed than those without disability which restricts work (10%)
- who work part-time are equally likely to be underemployed as other part-time workers (35% compared with 34%).
In the study, underemployment is restricted to part-time workers who would like to work more hours, regardless of availability. The analysis includes all workers from age 15 and comprises both employees and the self-employed. Workers are defined as part-time if they usually work fewer than 35 hours per week in all jobs (including any paid or unpaid overtime) (Wilkins and Lass 2018).
The HILDA Survey is a household-based longitudinal study of Australian households and individuals conducted in annual waves since 2001. All household members aged 15 or over are invited to participate in a personal face-to-face interview. The HILDA Survey defines disability as an impairment, long-term health condition or disability that restricts everyday activities and has lasted, or is likely to last, for 6 months or more.