Health Care and Social Assistance is Australia’s largest employing industry and, given the COVID-19 pandemic, has a critically important workforce. It covers health services like hospitals, General Practitioners, dental and ambulance services, as well as services like child care and aged care.
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This industry has a large proportion of part-time workers, with 46% of the workforce employed part-time (compared with the Australian average of 31%). There is also a significant share of female workers in Health Care and Social Assistance (nearly four in five workers are female).
Post-school education is commonly required in this industry with more than 80% of workers having a post-school qualification. Qualifications are often mandatory for employment but training opportunities exist in both the higher education and VET sectors.
Demand is expected to continue for this industry, given the COVID-19 pandemic and Australia’s ageing population.
Sources: ABS, Labour Force (seasonally adjusted and annual averages of original data); ABS, Characteristics of Employment; ABS, Education and Work.