On 19 June 2018, Ai Group released an economic research paper which debunks the persistent myth perpetrated by the ACTU that job insecurity and casualisation of work are increasing in Australia.

The paper demonstrates that as a proportion of the workforce, casual work has been approximately 20 per cent of the workforce over the past two decades. It is about the same in 2018 (20.6%) as it was in 1998 (20.1%). Further, the proportion of the workforce expecting to be in the same job in a year’s time has been steady at 90 percent of the workforce since the Australian Bureau of Statistics started collecting this data in 2001.

The ACTU has now started to include part-time employees in their figures about so called ‘precarious employment’ to paint a misleading picture about the composition of the Australian workforce. Of course, the vast majority of part-time workers do not want to work full-time. Access to part-time work enables many Australians to participate in the workforce who would otherwise be unable or unwilling to participate including, for example, many women, older workers and students.

If you would like more information about the advantages and disadvantages of full-time, part-time and casual employment please contact Ai Group’s Workplace Advice Service on 1300 55 66 77.

Alternatively, if you would like advice about structuring employment for your workplace contact your local employment, workplace and industrial lawyer in Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Adelaide, Melbourne or Brisbane or email Ai Group Workplace Lawyers at info@aigroupworkplacelawyers.com.au.