Target Halve the gap in employment outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a decade (by 2018) - No progress It is clear that since 2008, no progress has been made against the target to halve the gap in employment outcomes within a decade (by 2018). The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 15-64 years who are employed fell from 53.8 per cent in 2008 to 47.5 per cent in 2012-13. In addition to the fall in Indigenous employment, the proportion of non-Indigenous Australians who are employed rose from 75.0 per cent to 75.6 per cent. Consequently, between 2008 and 2012-13 there has been an increase of 6.9 percentage points in the employment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous working age people (up from 21.2 to 28.1 percentage points). Some care is required in assessing progress on this target. Participants in Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) have historically been classified in the ABS statistics as being employed. However policy changes to cease non-remote CDEP and introduce the Remote Jobs and Communities Programme in remote areas resulted in a large fall in the number of CDEP participants during this period. The decline in CDEP participants from 2008 to 2012-13 accounted for 60 per cent of the decline in the Indigenous employment rate over this period. Indigenous employment rates vary sharply by remoteness area. Inner-regional areas and major cities have the highest Indigenous employment rates for those aged 15–64 years at 49.9 per cent and 49.8 per cent respectively. By comparison, very remote areas have the lowest at 42.2 per cent. Only 30.4 per cent of Indigenous Australians aged 15-64 years in very remote areas were employed in a mainstream (non-CDEP) job in 2012-13. The Indigenous non-CDEP employment rate in the major cities fell from 58.6 per cent in 2008 to 49.8 per cent in 2012-13 and this fall was statistically significant. Figure 8: Proportion of Indigenous Australians aged 15-64 years employed in non-CDEP and CDEP jobs, by remoteness, 2008 to 2012-13 Source: Indigenous data are from the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey 2012-13 and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey 2008. Non-Indigenous data are from the Survey of Education and Work.
Target Halve the gap in employment outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a decade (by 2018) - No progress It is clear that since 2008, no progress has been made against the target to halve the gap in employment outcomes within a decade (by 2018). The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 15-64 years who are employed fell from 53.8 per cent in 2008 to 47.5 per cent in 2012-13. In addition to the fall in Indigenous employment, the proportion of non-Indigenous Australians who are employed rose from 75.0 per cent to 75.6 per cent. Consequently, between 2008 and 2012-13 there has been an increase of 6.9 percentage points in the employment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous working age people (up from 21.2 to 28.1 percentage points). Some care is required in assessing progress on this target. Participants in Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) have historically been classified in the ABS statistics as being employed. However policy changes to cease non-remote CDEP and introduce the Remote Jobs and Communities Programme in remote areas resulted in a large fall in the number of CDEP participants during this period. The decline in CDEP participants from 2008 to 2012-13 accounted for 60 per cent of the decline in the Indigenous employment rate over this period. Indigenous employment rates vary sharply by remoteness area. Inner-regional areas and major cities have the highest Indigenous employment rates for those aged 15–64 years at 49.9 per cent and 49.8 per cent respectively. By comparison, very remote areas have the lowest at 42.2 per cent. Only 30.4 per cent of Indigenous Australians aged 15-64 years in very remote areas were employed in a mainstream (non-CDEP) job in 2012-13. The Indigenous non-CDEP employment rate in the major cities fell from 58.6 per cent in 2008 to 49.8 per cent in 2012-13 and this fall was statistically significant. Figure 8: Proportion of Indigenous Australians aged 15-64 years employed in non-CDEP and CDEP jobs, by remoteness, 2008 to 2012-13 Source: Indigenous data are from the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey 2012-13 and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey 2008. Non-Indigenous data are from the Survey of Education and Work.
Closing_the_gap_2015_report_0.docx