Families

Almost half of working Victorians care for dependent children or other family members.

Business Victoria (2006), Work and family in Victoria – family and the Victorian workforce,

Percentage of employed mothers with dependent children:

• in 1985 – 45.6 per cent 
• in 2003 – 60.4 per cent  
• in 2008 – 69 per cent (a)

From: Human Rights Equal Opportunity Commission HREOC (2005), Striking the balance: women, men, work and family discussion paper, p 14

(a) ABS (2008) Labor Force electronic delivery

Percentage of couples with only one full-time worker:

• in 1981 – 51.1 per cent  
• in 2000 – 30.5 per cent 

From: A Burbidge and P Sheehan (2001), 'The polarisation of families' in J Borland, B Gregory and P Sheehan (eds), Work Rich and Work Poor: Inequality and Economic Change in Australia, Centre for Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University, Melbourne, p 128

Percentage of couples with children where both parents are employed either full-time or part-time:

• in 1981 – 41.5 per cent 
• in 2000 – 56.4 per cent 
• in 2006 – 61 per cent (a)

From: A Burbidge and P Sheehan (2001)

(a) ABS (2006/7) Family Characteristics Transitions

The number of sole parent families increased more than threefold between 1976 and 1996.

ABS (2002), Census of Population and Housing: Selected Social and Housing Characteristics, Australia

In 2006 sole parent families represented 23.8% of all families with dependent children.

ABS (2006), Census of Population and Housing: Selected Social and Housing Characteristics, Australia

Fathers 

In one survey of 1000 Australian fathers:

• 68 per cent felt they did not spend enough time with their children
• more than half believed that their participation in paid work created major barriers to being involved as fathers; workload and time pressures were seen as major barriers
• 53 per cent felt that their paid work and family lives interfered with each other

From: HREOC (2005), 'Striking the balance: women, men, work and family' discussion paper, p 54

Disability

There are more than 322,000 Victorians with a severe or profound disability who are assisted by family members.

Carers are of all ages but are most likely to be between 35 and 54 years old.

From: Carers Victoria, 'Carers in Victoria – the facts', sourced from 2004 Australian Bureau of Statistics. These statistics also include disability related to ageing.

Ageing population

Declining birth rates coupled with increased longevity mean that Australia’s population growth is slowing and the population is ageing. 

By 2016, Australians aged over 65 will account for 14 per cent of our total population.

Business Victoria (2006), Work and family in Victoria – family and the Victorian workforce

Studies of Australian population trends predict that the current skills shortage will be exacerbated by the ageing population.

Australia’s working population grows by an average of around 166,000 people every year. But trends already in place will see the working age population grow by just 190,000 for the entire decade of the 2020s – one tenth of the current pace.

From: Access Economics (2005), 'Workforce Participation in Victoria', p 26