THERE were 2.5 million Australians working from home on last year’s Census night, as the major cities of Sydney and Melbourne suffered through extended lockdowns.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics released 2021 Census data showing that more than 20% of the 12 million people employed on Census night – 10th August – were working from home. In NSW, there were 1.1 million people, or 31%, working from home, and 814,000 or 26% in Victoria.
In the less-restricted Northern Territory, 4%, or 4,545 people, worked from home.
While travel restrictions and government orders were keeping many from the office, the impact has been long-lasting and flexible working arrangements are evidently here to stay. At the time of the Census, Property Council of Australia data showed CBD office occupancy rates had plummeted to single-digit figures in both Sydney and Melbourne, where they remained in September and October. After a gradual recovery over the first half this year, the latest data shows the return to the office had stalled in the face of COVID waves and cold and flu season, with Sydney at 53% and Melbourne at just 39%.
Nearly $1.6 billion in CBD spending would be lost each year under optimistic scenarios for workers returning to the office, according to a report from PAR Group, which also suggested discussions about the role of the city office need to revolve around a reduced daily office workforce and the prospect of “ghost buildings” and higher retail vacancies.
The Census recorded one in four employed people living in capital cities working from home, compared with one in eight outside capital cities.
Construction shifts
According to the Census, more than 1.067 million people are employed in the construction industry, making it the third-largest in the country, behind only health care and social assistance (1.75 million) and retail trade (nearly 1.1 million). It accounts for 8.9% of the workforce.
Rental, hiring and real estate services have 187,621 employees.
Dr David Gruen, Australian statistician, said, COVID-19 restrictions in New South Wales contributed to “unprecedented results”.
For example, 15% of people employed in the construction industry in New South Wales worked zero hours in the week prior to the Census, in contrast to the rest of Australia, where 3% of people employed in construction worked zero hours.
In the rental, hiring and real estate category, 4.4% reported working zero hours.
The latest data release also shows female representation is increasing gradually in the construction industry. Women now fill 109,000 construction management roles, or 10%, up from 7% in 2016. The number of women with qualifications in building construction management has doubled since 2016, to almost 2,000.
However, only 1% of plumbers, concreters, roof tilers, bricklayers and carpenters are female.
Fewer 40-hour weeks
The number of Australians working 40 hours or more per week has fallen by 7% since the 2011 Census, from 45% to 38%, while the median was unchanged at 38 hours. The median number of hours worked in construction was 40, for the rental, hiring and real estate services category, 38. By industry, the mining industry recorded the highest median at 48 hours and the accommodation and food industry the lowest at 20 hours.
