Statistics: mature age persons

May 2005
February 2005

May 2005

The Department of Employment and Training's Labour Market Research Unit developed an information brief in May 2005 on Mature Aged persons in the labour force. This data relates to Queensland .

The key points it identifies areas follows:

• mature aged employment growth (7.5%) continues to outpace that for all younger age cohorts (4.4%)
  
  
• almost half (47%) of new jobs created over the year went to mature aged persons, well above their labour market share of 34.2%. Of these, 56.4% (26,700) were females
  
  
• mature age job growth (47,300 jobs) continues to outpace mature age population growth (45,800 persons)
  
  
• average duration of unemployment and incidence of long term unemployment for mature aged males have increased, indicating that the strong jobs growth has primarily benefited female re-entrants to the labour market.
  
  

Statistics are also provided on employment and unemployment, participation rates, the duration of unemployment and long tern unemployment.

Read the complete information brief on mature aged persons in the labour force (May 2005) [PDF 44kb]

February 2005

On February 1, 2005, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released a profile entitled Mature Age Persons; Statistical Report (ABS Cat. No. 4905.0.55.001). This profile, which draws on data from a range of sources, is part of a series of statistical profiles developed to provide a comprehensive analysis of mature age persons. Data in this report relates to Australia only, with mature age persons being defined as persons aged 45-64 years.

Level of highest non-school qualification

• In May 2004, there were 2,494,000 mature age persons with a non-school qualification, representing over 50% of all mature age persons in Australia.
  
  
• Of those mature age individuals with a non-school education, approximately 32% or 789,000 held a Certificate III or IV, while a further 22% or 558,000 held a Bachelor Degree, respectively.
  
  
• There were 1,102,000 mature age females with a non-school qualification, 26% or 284,000 of these recorded a Bachelor Degree as their highest non-school qualification while a further 20% or 224,000 held a Certificate I or II.
  
  

Study leading to a qualification

• Approximately 4% or 169,000 mature age people participated in courses of study that were leading to a qualification. Of these, a significant majority (103,000 or 61%) were female.
  
  
• Percentages of mature age individuals enrolled in courses leading to qualifications such as a Certificate III or IV, an Advanced Diploma or Diploma and a Bachelor Degree were 21%, 21% and 17%, respectively.
  
  
• For males, approximately 20% or 13,000 were studying for a Certificate III or IV, while a further 19% or 12,000 were studying for an Advanced Diploma or Diploma.
  
  
• For females, approximately 22% or 23,000 were studying for a Certificate III or IV, while a further 19% or 20,000 were studying for an Advanced Diploma or Diploma.
  
  

Study Intentions

• In 2001, there were a total of 3,198,000 persons in Australia intending to study for a qualification. Approximately 383,000 or 12% of these were mature age persons.
  
  

Outcomes

• In 2001, 398,000 training courses were completed by people ‘while not working'. Of these, 23% or 93,000 courses were completed by mature age persons with 32,000 of these being wage and salary earners in the previous 12 months.
  
  
• Of those that had been wage and salary earners in the previous 12 months, 38% or 12,000 perceived the skills achieved from their training courses as transferable.