Employment, industries & students
2011 Census fact sheets How does Canberra compare? Issue #13April 2013
What is a Greater Capital City Statistical Area?
Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSAs) have been defined in the Australian Statistical Geography Standard. GCCSAs are designed to represent a socio-economic definition of each of the eight State and Territory capital cities. As such, the boundaries of these GCCSAs include people who regularly socialise, shop or work within the city, but live in the small towns and rural areas surrounding the city. The GCCSA does not reflect the built up edge of the city.
In total, there are 34 GCCSAs with variable population. This includes the eight state and territory capital cities, the seven rest of state regions (for CANBERRA, the GCCSA covers the whole area) and one for the Other Territories of Jervis Bay, Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands. In addition there are non-spatial GCCSAs for Migratory-Offshore-Shipping and No Usual Address for each State and Territory.
What is a usual resident?
The Census asks where you usually lived on Census night. It may or may not be the place where you were counted. Overseas visitors who are visiting Australia for less than one year are able to be identified separately.
More than 356,000 people lived in Canberra at the time of the 2011 Census. While
30.7 per cent of Canberra residents were working in the Private sector, nearly one quarter (23.7 per cent) were working in the Government sector - a much higher share than in other capital cities.
In 2011,Canberra had the highest proportion of people aged 15 and over who were employed
(67.4 per cent), higher than the total for all capital cities
(59.5 per cent).Canberra was followed by Darwin (66.2 per cent), Perth (61.4 per cent) and Brisbane (61.2 per cent). In contrast, the share of population who were unemployed in Canberra
(2.5per cent) ranked second lowest after Darwin(also 2.5 per cent). The largest share of residents aged 15 and over who were unemployed wasin Brisbane (3.8 per cent).
In 2011, the share of Canberra workersin the public sector
(43.3 per cent)was the highest of any of the capital cities. Darwin was in second place
(30.0 per cent), followed by Hobart(23.2 per cent). Conversely, Melbourne had the largest share of workers in private employment (85.7 per cent), followed by Sydney (85.2 per cent) andPerth (84.3 per cent).
In Canberra in 2011, 67,274 workers
(or 34.3 per cent of employed residents) worked in the National Government.This was followed by smaller numbers employed in the State/Territory Government
(8.7 per cent) and Local Government
(0.2 per cent).
In Canberra, one in every three workers was in National Government, almost three times as high as in Darwin (11.6 per cent) and more than eight times as high as in several other capital cities. Workers in State/Territory Government in Canberra
(8.7 per cent) represented the second lowest proportion after Melbourne
(7.7 per cent).
All data on this factsheet is sourced from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing, available for analysis from the ABS website (see
What were the main industries for Australian capital cities? 2011 Census fact sheets Personal income, the main industriesand students Issue #13April 2013
Canberra had the highest share of high income residents
In Canberra in 2011, 69,949 residents (or 24.1 per cent of Canberra residents aged 15 and over) earned incomes of $1,500 or more per week, followed by Darwin (17.5 per cent), Perth (17.1 per cent) and Sydney (15.3 per cent).
Hobart had the lowest proportion of residents earning high incomes (10.0 per cent). In contrast, over
35 per cent of Hobart residents earned less than $400 per week, compared with 25.1 per cent of Canberra residents.
In Canberra in 2011, a higher share of couples with children households (58.6 per cent) earned an income of $2,500 and more per week, than couple family with no children households (37.6 per cent). This was similar in other capital cities.
Canberra had the largest share of residents aged 15 years and over who had undertaken unpaid voluntary work in the 12 months prior to Census night 2011. Canberra (21.2 per cent) was followed by Hobart
(19.0 per cent) and Brisbane (18.8 per cent).
Reference
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011. Census Dictionary Australia, Catalogue Number 2901.0
In Canberra and Darwin, Public administration and safety was the main industry of employment but in other capital cities, other industries were more important
The share of Canberra workers who were employed in Public administration and safety (32.7 per cent) in 2011 was the highest of any of the capital cities,more than 5 times higher thanin Melbourne
(5.1 per cent), Sydney (5.6 per cent) and Perth (6.4 per cent). Canberra was followed by Darwin (21.6 per cent) and Hobart (12.2 per cent).
In contrast, in other capital cities, the main industries of employment were much more evenly distributed among Health care and social assistance, Retail trade and Manufacturing.
More than one in four people in Canberra were students
In 2011, Canberra had the highest share of the population comprising either full-time (21.3 per cent) or part-time(6.2 per cent) students. For full-time students, Canberra was followed by Brisbane
(20.5 per cent), and Melbourne(20.4 per cent). For part-time students, Sydney (5.2 per cent) was second highest, followed by Darwin (5.1 per cent).
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Canberra 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the Territory Records Office, Community and Infrastructure Services, Territory and Municipal Services, CANBERRA Government.
GPO Box 158, Canberra City CANBERRA 2601.
Enquiries about this publication should be directed to:
Chief Minister and Treasury DirectorateCANBERRA Government
© Australian Capital Territory, Canberra 2013