THE SQUIZ
If you were locked down last year, you might remember that completing the Census was a welcome (or not) change to the evening routine of telly, eat, sleep… And there were a few of us – according to new official data released yesterday. To recap: the Census is Australia’s most extensive statistical collection of information to get a handle on the national population, set electoral boundaries, inform the distribution of billions of dollars in public funding, and guide the planning of services and infrastructure. We’ve had to endure some seriously delayed gratification to reap the rewards of our efforts with the 2nd batch of insights from the Bureau of Statistics focusing on how we work and study.

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT?
Regarding education, most adults have gained a qualification after leaving school, with 51.7% of people aged 15+ completing a certificate, diploma or degree. Having a master’s degree is now as common as a bachelor’s was 30 years ago, so you’ll need a PhD if you want bragging rights these days… No surprise to parents is that 2.4 million work full-time and have significant child-caring duties to boot. And in the home, women are twice as likely to do the housework, even if they’re employed full-time, which rises to 3 times for female part-timers. When it comes to the types of jobs we do, 4 industries make up 40% of the workforce: healthcare, retail, construction and education. Sales assistant is the most common role, followed by nurses and general clerks. Men dominate the trades (99%), while women reign supreme in midwifery (98.7%).

ANY FUN FACTS?
Yes, alright, you’ve had your main, so here’s dessert… A booming industry that’s grown by 240% since the last Census in 2016 is distilling booze, particularly gin. The fastest-growing qualification was security science, up by a whopping 460% – given the recent focus on cybersecurity, that seems like a smart career choice… At the opposite end of the spectrum is video/media rental hiring services, which employ 160 people. It’s kinda surprising there are that many… Note: there were 7,593 “super Australians” who worked, studied, had caring responsibilities, did housework, and volunteered. If all of that isn’t enough to satiate your data-loving self, you’ll be pleased to know more info from the Census will continue to be released until mid-2023. Bring it on…