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Australian Disability Workforce Report: Second edition highlights workforce risks
28/02/2018
- The disability sector continues to grow rapidly. Support worker growth has been 11.1% per year, compared to 1.6% in the workforce as a whole.
- Disability organisations are seeking more flexible employment options, with large organisations adopting different strategies than small and medium ones.
- The disability workforce has a large and growing casual workforce compared to other industries, resulting in high turnover and increased quality risks.
- While job seekers appear to favour part-time employment, they also have a strong preference for permanent work.
NDS has released the second edition of the Australian Disability Workforce Report. It highlights the increasing use of casual and part-time workers as organisations grapple with NDIS pricing.
The sector's workforce responses to the NDIS are the focus of this biannual report, which is currently the best source for disability sector workforce insights in Australia.
Based on nine quarters of data contributed by Workforce Wizard users – covering between 35,000 and 38,000 people each quarter - it documents key workforce metrics, including rates of casual and part-time employment, turnover, working hours and two spotlight topics: absences and industrial instrument coverage. carecareers data about job seeker preferences adds to the richness of the report.
The report’s analysis confirms the distinctive character of the disability workforce: a majority female, mainly part-time group of workers, over two-fifths of whom are casually employed. Roughly one quarter of the workforce turns over annually, adding to existing recruitment pressures in a fast-growing industry.
NDS will use this vital data to advocate for pricing that supports high-quality jobs and allows the sector to retain a skilled and experienced workforce.
Australian Disability Workforce Report February 2018
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