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The Bureau of Statistics has simply launched a brand new set of knowledge from the 2021 census. The first set – launched in June 2022 – coated matters together with age, intercourse, faith, unpaid work and nation of beginning.
The second set, launched on Wednesday, offers insights into the sorts of jobs Australians have (and if they’ve a job), how Australians journey to work (and in the event that they nonetheless do), and their academic {qualifications}.
There is loads to digest. I’ll give attention to a few attention-grabbing outcomes:
variations within the sorts of jobs held by women and men,
variations within the academic {qualifications} of women and men.
The most female and male jobs
Men accounted for round 99% of Australia’s bricklayers and stonemasons, plumbers, sheetmetal trades staff, carpenters and joiners, roof tilers and concreters in 2021.
Women accounted for 97% or extra of Australia’s midwives, early childhood academics, dental assistants, private assistants and sweetness therapists.
But the segregation is changing into weaker over time.
One frequent measure is the Duncan index of dissimilarity. It data the proportion of feminine staff who must change their occupations to ensure that feminine illustration to be even throughout all occupations.
I’ve calculated this measure utilizing census information from 1966 as much as 2021, updating work I accomplished with Jeff Borland as much as 2011.
Read extra:
The 2021 Australian census in 8 charts
The encouraging information is that segregation is declining, and declined additional prior to now two censuses. Having mentioned that, the occupational variations are nonetheless massive.
Back in 1966, almost two-thirds of ladies would have needed to change occupations with the intention to be unfold throughout occupations as males are. By 2021, the proportion had fallen to shut to half.
As ladies joined the workforce in larger numbers from 1966 to 2021, the proportion of ladies in most broad occupational teams grew.
But the expansion has differed by the kind of job. The proportion of ladies in managerial occupations grew from round 18% in 1966 to just about 40% in 2021.
The proportion in skilled occupations grew from 35 to 56%. In technical and trades occupations, it solely grew from 8 to 17%.
Read extra:
Yet once more, the census reveals ladies are doing extra housekeeping. Now is the time to put money into interventions
Some current will increase (from 2006 to 2021) within the proportion of ladies in particular supervisor {and professional} occupations stand out. These embody vets (from 46% to 66%), dentists (31% to 47%), barristers (22% to 38%), college principals (50% to 65%) and inner medical specialists (32% to 47%).
But some skilled occupations have gone the opposite means. The proportion of ladies working as monetary sellers fell from 41% to 31%. The proportion of ladies working as physiotherapists fell from 71% to 64%.
Highly educated younger ladies
The rising shares of ladies in skilled occupations is matched by rising training attainment.
The proportion of females aged of their 30s with a bachelor’s diploma or greater qualification was one half in 2021. This is strikingly greater than each the proportion of males in that age group with a bachelor’s diploma or greater (about 38%) and the proportion of older females with levels, which was 11% for females over 75.
This distinction signifies how quickly feminine college training has grown.
Female college graduates now outnumber male college graduates in all ages group under 70.
But the proportion of males with certificates and diplomas is greater than the proportion of females throughout all age teams from 20 up.
This is mirrored within the still-low proportion of females in technical and trades occupations.
More to discover
Gender variations in jobs and training are simply two of the various methods the census can assist us perceive Australia.
Every 5 years it presents researchers and the curious with loads to discover, together with modifications over time.
A number of years again the five-yearly census was dealing with the axe. It can be nice if it continued to offer these insights for many years to return.
Read extra:
The gender qualification hole: ladies ‘over-invest’ in office capabilities
Michael Coelli receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He has additionally accomplished some evaluation work for AI Group.
