The Community Services and Health industry employs 12% of the Australian workforce, with an estimation that one in four new jobs between 2013 and 2018 will be in that industry.
Source: Skills IQ Community Services and Health Environmental Scan 2015
There are approximately 1,100 employers in the Aged Care Residential Services sector, 50% of them employing between 20 and 200 people, and 12% employing more than 200 people.
Source: ABS, Counts of Australian Businesses, Jun 2012 to Jun 2016
There are 214,200 people working in the Residential Care Services sector. This category includes those working in Aged Care Residential Services, the largest sector. This number is expected to increase by 9% to 233,500 by 2020.
There are a further 222,700 people that work in the ‘Other’ Social Assistance Services sector. This sector includes a range of services that includes Aged Care Assistance Services.
Source: Department of Jobs and Small Business Industry Projections - Five Years to November 2020.
In 2012, there were estimated to be over 352,100 employees in the aged care sector working in residential and community settings, and in a variety of direct-care and non-direct care occupations. Of these, 240,445 were direct-care workers including: nurses; personal care or community care workers; and allied health professionals such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists.
Australia’s aged care workforce is expected to grow to around 827,100 in 2050.
Source: Australian Government My Aged Care website
Of the 273,503 places in government-funded aged care at 30 June 2015:
- 72% of places were in residential aged care.
- 27% were in home care
Source Australian Institute of Health and Welfare