The ABARES snapshot has revealed Australia’s agricultural workforce is expanding and evolving, with an increasing number of women and young people joining the industry.
The ABARES Insights Snapshot of Australia’s Agricultural Workforce depicts the changing state of the agricultural workforce based on data from the 2021 Census of Population and Housing.
ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville said the data reveals subtle shifts in employment data for people aged 15 and older, primarily employed in agriculture the week before Census night.
“Between the 2016 Census and the 2021 Census, we’ve seen more people overall working in agriculture — 239,093, which is an increase of 4.7%,” Dr Greenville explained.
According to him, over the same period, there has been a slight increase in the proportion of women (33%), young people (25%), and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in the agricultural workforce.
“Around 1.8% of workers in the agricultural sector were Indigenous, and 1.6% had a disability that meant they required assistance with core activities,” he stated.
“In 2021, 46% of people working in agriculture were employed in sheep, beef cattle and grain farming, which is a slight contraction since 2016,” he continued.
“Most people who work in agriculture live in regional areas (81%) and the majority (68%) were in full-time employment.”
Dr Greenville said Australia’s farm population is constantly evolving, and more young people will likely be motivated by the industry’s growth.
“The gradual trends seen in the statistics are a reflection of changes in agriculture and Australia’s workforce more broadly,” he added.
