Self-employed contractors in Australia: Incidence and characteristics
Staff research paper
This paper by Matthew Waite and Lou Will was released on 27 September 2001. The paper analyses the incidence of contractor-type employment and the characteristics of people working as contractors. It focuses on the group of employed persons known as independent contractors by Australian courts, as earners of personal services income by the Australian Tax Office and as self-employed contractors by researchers.
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Self-Employed Contractors in Australia: Incidence and Characteristics (PDF 311.8 KB)Self-employed contractors have become more common in Australia over the past 20 years. In August 1998, 10 per cent of employed persons, or 844 000 individuals, worked as self-employed contractors.
A staff research paper by Matthew Waite and Lou Will, Self-employed Contractors in Australia: Incidence and Characteristics, presents an analysis of self-employed contracting in Australia. The analysis covers all self-employed contractors, including dependent and independent contractors.
The study found that self-employed contractors are a diverse group. They are employed in all industries and occupations. However, they are largely concentrated in Construction (25 per cent of self-employed contractors in August 1998), Property and Business Services (20 per cent) and in the occupational category of Tradepersons (27 per cent).
In August 1998, 25 per cent of self-employed contractors were dependent contractors. They represented 2.6 per cent of employed persons, or 215 000 individuals. Dependent contractors are a diverse group, but have demographic and employment characteristics more like those of employees than do independent contractors.
The study is the latest in a series conducted by the Productivity Commission into non-traditional employment.
Background Information
Patrick Jomini (Assistant Commissioner) 03 9653 2176
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