The first release of the 2021 Census revealed key insights on the population changes we’ve seen take place within our community since 2016 and the direction in which we’re headed. For the past couple of months, our lead demographers at Demographic Solutions have been extensively covering a variety of topic on our blog page and LinkedIn. With the second release set to be made public on October 12, here’s a quick lowdown on what you need to know before the release.
So, what did we learn from the first release?
What to expect from the second release?
This phase of the Census will have a greater focus on employment data and location variables, giving us a snapshot into how the pandemic impacted our working patterns and behaviours during this period.
Here are the topics we’re keeping our eye out on for:
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Considering how little growth was going on in established areas, how exactly has internal migration patterns changed? Will we see a lot more outward migration to regional areas as a result?
How has COVID impacted this trend?
With the number of people with degrees on the rise, what will the balance between blue collar and white-collar employees look like?
Given the increasing opportunities that continue to emerge from the construction and mining industries, can we expect to see a big increase in trade qualifications?
This indicator is useful in understanding the degree of unemployment coming out of COVID.
Which areas have bounced back from the pandemic better than others? Are there regions that have had a particularly tough road to recovery compared to others?
Will we continue to see the move towards more people being professionals? Or has the pandemic spurred a growth in blue-collar industries?
How have hard-hit industries like tourism and retail coped during this period? Have some industries recovered better than others?
This indicator gives us insight into understanding how prevalent the work-from-home trend has been in Australia in this Census period.
With WFH becoming the norm, what is the economy’s potential for people to continue to be able to work from home vs those who are inextricably linked to a “place of work” (e.g. frontline workers)?
This indicator gives us insight into understanding how prevalent the work-from-home trend has been in Australia in this Census period.
With WFH becoming the norm, what is the economy’s potential for people to continue to be able to work from home vs those who are inextricably linked to a “place of work” (e.g. frontline workers)?
The share of people working in the public sector has been declining for years. In recent years, there’s been an increase for demand in labour given the rise in government infrastructure projects. On the flip side, employment has been in several industries within the private sector have
How has the share changed over this period?
Conclusion
Census data, while can be seen as obscure and complex, are vital for strategic planning purposes for governments and businesses alike. However, it is worth considering how reliable this information will be moving forward to plan our cities and service provisions. The last 5 years have been an extraordinary period with people behaving in patterns quite unusual to the norm. Whether or not these behaviours will continue to persist and what this means for us and our society at large provides for good food for thought.
In the meanwhile, keep an eye out on this space and our LinkedIn page for our weekly analysis on the second release data.