The Role of Non-Traditional Work in the Australian Labour Market

This media release were issued with the release of the commission research paper, The Role of Non-Traditional Work in the Australian Labour Market, on 25 May 2005.

About one third of Australian workers are employed as casuals, fixed-term employees, self employed contractors or labour hire employees, according to a report released by the Productivity Commission . The largest group is casual workers (20 per cent of all employed persons), followed by self-employed contractors (8 per cent).

Contrary to popular wisdom, the share of non-traditional work in the total workforce has been relatively stable in more recent years, with non-traditional work growing broadly in line with the overall number of employed persons.

The Commission Research Paper - The Role of Non-Traditional Work in the Australian Labour Market - builds on the Commission's previous research into labour markets (including social dimensions).

The Commission used a number of data sources, including the expanding Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, to look at different dimensions of non-traditional work, including job satisfaction and transitions between different forms of employment.

Non-traditional workers are a diverse population and most generalisations are unwarranted, according to the Commission. Casual workers tend to be young, still in education and work part time. Fixed-term employees are as skilled as ongoing employees and tend to work full-time. Self-employed contractors are typically of prime working age and work long hours. Labour hire employees share many characteristics of ongoing employees but do not remain in this form of employment for very long.

Many non-traditional workers express high levels of satisfaction with their jobs. One clear exception is casual male workers with dependants.

For those who are unemployed or out of the labour force, non-traditional work provides a means of gaining employment and, for many, a stepping stone to ongoing employment.