A Statistical Overview: Arts and Culture in Victoria
2. EMPLOYMENT, WORK AND
VOLUNTEERS IN CULTURE
There are challenges in measuring how many people are employed in culture. Some
people have only short-term jobs, while others have a cultural job that is not their main
job. Nevertheless, there are several data sources that provide an indication of the
number of people working in culture. The two main sources are the 2006 Census of
Population and Housing and the 2007 Survey of Work in Selected Culture and Leisure
Activities. Data are also presented from the Service Industry Surveys.
PERSONS EMPLOYED IN CULTURAL OCCUPATIONS &
INDUSTRIES
Cultural employment can be defined using either occupation data, that is, the type of
work people do; or industry data, that is, the main activity of the business for whom
people work.
Consequently, data by industry will include people who have a non-cultural occupation
within a cultural industry (such as clerks, receptionists and sales assistants) and will
exclude people who have cultural occupations but do not work in cultural industries
(such as a librarian working in an educational institution).
According to the Census of Population and Housing, in 2006 there were 127,259
persons in Victoria who were employed in either a cultural occupation or a cultural
industry.
However, the Census data provide an incomplete picture of the number of people who
do cultural work because the Census records the person’s main occupation. A
person’s main occupation refers to the job in which the person usually works the most
hours. Some people in cultural jobs, such as musicians, may have the cultural job as
their second job. The Census data also exclude people who did unpaid work in cultural
jobs (e.g. volunteers working for the National Trust), as well as those who were
'between jobs', as some types of cultural work (e.g. acting) are periodic in nature.
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A Statistical Overview: Arts and Culture in Victoria
2.1 Cultural Employment (main job), Victoria, 2006
Cultural industry
Non-cultural industry
Non-cultural occupation
Cultural industry
All cultural employment
Cultural occupation
42,789
34,400
50,070
127,259
Persons employed in cultural occupations
The 2006 Census showed that 77,192 people in Victoria had a cultural occupation as
their main job in the week before the 2006 Census. This was 3% of all employed
persons in Victoria.
Table 2.1 displays data at a broad occupation level. Appendix 1 shows detailed
occupation data and reveals that the most popular cultural occupations (main job in the
week before the 2006 Census) included graphic designers (6,509 people), architects
(3,726 people) and ministers of religion (3,448 people).
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A Statistical Overview: Arts and Culture in Victoria
2.2 Persons employed in selected cultural occupation groups(a)(b), Victoria and
Australia, 2006
Occupation
Heritage collections
Built, collectable and environmental heritage workers
Library and archive workers
Other heritage workers
Total heritage workers
Arts
Writers and print media workers
Performing artists and music composers
Performing arts support workers (other than equipment
operators)
Visual arts and crafts professionals
Architects and urban planners
Design workers
Broadcasting, film and recorded media equipment operators
Printing workers
Other arts support workers
Other arts workers
Total arts workers
Other cultural workers
Victoria
Australia
Percentage
in Vic. (c)
2 457
6 381
11
8 844
9 766
25 739
69
35 572
25%
25%
16%
25%
6 049
3 768
3 742
23 767
15 409
14 746
26%
25%
25%
3 627
8 630
17 669
2 176
9 935
5 384
1 141
62 117
6 234
14 152
32 037
59 335
8 126
31 073
21 119
4 271
224 040
25 181
26%
27%
30%
27%
32%
26%
27%
28%
25%
Total employed in cultural occupations
77 192
284 789
27%
(a) As the main job in the week before the Census.
(b) Cells in this table have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.
(c) According to the 2006 Census of Population and Housing, 25% of Australia’s population lived in Victoria in August
2006.
Source: ABS data available on request, Census of Population and Housing, 2006.
Persons employed in cultural industries
The 2006 Census showed that in Victoria, 92,859 people had their main occupation in
a cultural industry and 54% (50,070) of these did not have a cultural occupation. The
cultural industries that employed the greatest number of people were the printing
industry (12,183) and architectural services industry (8,474).
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A Statistical Overview: Arts and Culture in Victoria
2.3 Persons employed in selected cultural industries(a)(b), Victoria, 2006
Industry
Cultural
occupations
Other
occupations(c)
Heritage
Libraries and archives
1 610
Museum operation
695
Zoological and botanic gardens operation
125
Nature reserves and conservation parks operation
493
Total heritage industries
2 923
Arts
Printing
5 599
Newspaper publishing
3 028
Magazine and other periodical publishing
586
Internet publishing and broadcasting
74
Book publishing
1 029
Music publishing
3
Reproduction of recorded media
93
Music and other sound recording activities
179
Book and magazine wholesaling
80
Entertainment media retailing
59
Newspaper and book retailing
55
Architectural services
5 849
Advertising services
2 481
Other specialised design services
3 983
Motion picture and video production
1 487
Post-production services and other motion picture and
157
video activities
Motion picture and video distribution
28
Motion picture exhibition
594
Radio broadcasting
544
Free-to-air television broadcasting
1 588
Cable and other subscription broadcasting
52
Performing arts operation
859
Creative artists, musicians, writers and performers
3 205
Performing arts venue operation
196
Video and other electronic media rental
39
Professional photographic services
1 398
Arts education
2 848
Total arts industries
36 093
Other culture
Religious services
3 014
Funeral, crematorium and cemetery services
759
Total other culture industries
3 773
Total cultural industries
42 789
(a) Cells in this table have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.
(b) As the main job in the week before the Census.
(c) Includes respondents who did not state their occupation group.
Source: ABS data available on request, Census of Population and Housing, 2006.
Total
447
1 057
478
1 151
3 133
2 057
1 752
603
1 644
6 056
6 584
3 080
902
147
1 772
59
732
68
1 013
1 242
6 318
2 625
5 569
1 870
522
91
12 183
6 108
1 488
221
2 801
62
825
247
1 093
1 301
6 373
8 474
8 050
5 853
2 009
248
193
2 118
535
889
622
440
714
488
2 238
450
1 144
42 425
221
2 712
1 079
2 477
674
1 299
3 919
684
2 277
1 848
3 992
78 518
3 868
644
4 512
50 070
6 882
1 403
8 285
92 859
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A Statistical Overview: Arts and Culture in Victoria
Persons employed in cultural occupations and industries by regions of
Victoria
The majority of cultural occupations and industries operated within the Melbourne
region. However, outside of Melbourne, the Barwon Statistical Division employed the
most people working within cultural industries (3,715) and people with cultural
occupations (3,107).
2.4 Persons employed in cultural occupations and industries(a)(b), Victoria, by
statistical division, 2006
Statistical Division
Melbourne
Inner Melbourne
Western Melbourne
Melton-Wyndham
Moreland City
Northern Middle Melbourne
Hume City
Northern Outer Melbourne
Boroondara City
Eastern Middle Melbourne
Eastern Outer Melbourne
Yarra Ranges Shire Part A
Southern Melbourne
Greater Dandenong City
South Eastern Outer Melbourne
Frankston City
Mornington Peninsula Shire
Melbourne total
Balance of Victoria
Barwon
Western District
Central Highlands
Wimmera
Mallee
Loddon
Goulburn
Ovens-Murray
East Gippsland
Gippsland
Balance of Victoria total
Total(c)
Cultural
occupations
Other
occupations(c)
Total
12 640
5 861
1 857
3 024
4 953
1 193
2 321
3 800
7 181
3 847
2 224
8 147
1 280
2 888
1 466
1 630
64 320
13 550
6 718
2 461
3 093
5 262
1 514
2 716
4 489
8 682
5 305
2 772
10 086
1 602
3 904
2 188
2 169
76 516
147 054
183 187
90 619
59 735
112 044
61 386
87 657
77 013
196 002
124 865
69 494
189 112
47 963
127 874
54 168
57 804
1 685 962
3 107
751
1 614
333
600
2 032
1 480
952
604
1 303
12 772
77 192
3 715
979
2 147
493
771
2 618
1 899
1 112
744
1 749
16 230
92 861
114 488
45 570
62 228
21 721
38 500
73 278
86 605
43 774
32 900
66 885
585 961
2 274 447
(a) Cells in this table have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.
(b) As the main job in the week before the Census.
(c) Includes Vic. Off-Shore Areas, Migratory and No Usual Address.
Source: ABS data available on request, Census of Population and Housing, 2006.
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A Statistical Overview: Arts and Culture in Victoria
For further detail about Statistical Divisions, see ABS publication Australian Standard
Geographical Classification (ASGC), Jul 2009 (cat. no. 1216.0).
PERSONS EMPLOYED IN SELECTED CULTURAL INDUSTRIES
(SERVICE INDUSTRIES SURVEYS)
Information on employment in cultural industries is also available from the ABS Service
Industries Surveys. These surveys count people who worked in an industry, regardless
of whether it was their main job or not. Most of these surveys included only employing
businesses (unlike data for the Australian National Accounts) and therefore do not
reflect the activities of the whole industry. However, even though there are numerous
businesses in Australia without employees, their overall contribution to economic
activity is relatively small.
The surveys showed that museums in Victoria employed 2,070 people at the end of
June 2008 and this was 26% of the people employed in museums within Australia. At
the end of June 2007, 2,384 people were employed in the film and video production
industry and at the end of June 2004, local government libraries in Victoria employed
2,488 people.
2.5 Persons employed in selected cultural industries(a)(b), Victoria and Australia
Industry
At end of
June
Vic.
Australia
Percentage
in Vic
Museums
2008
2 070
7 856
26.3%
Film and video production
2007
^2 384
10 873
21.9%
Film and video post-production
2007
^580
2 971
19.5%
Television services(b)
2007
1 431
6 980
20.5%
Local government libraries
2004
2 488
10 606
23.5%
Performing arts operation
2007
1 754
6 569
26.7%
Performing arts venues
2007
1 592
5 876
27.1%
^ estimate has a relative standard error of 10% to less than 25% and should be used with caution.
(a) According to the 2006 Census of Population and Housing, 25% of Australia’s population lived in Victoria in August
2006.
(b) Commercial free-to-air broadcasters (excludes pay TV).
Source: Museums, Australia, 2007-08 (cat. no. 8560.0); Television, Film and Video Production and Post-Production
Services, Australia, 2006-07 (cat. no. 8679.0); Performing Arts, Australia, 2006-07 (cat. no. 8697.0); Public Libraries,
Australia, 2003-04 (cat. no. 8561.0).
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A Statistical Overview: Arts and Culture in Victoria
WORK IN CULTURE ACTIVITIES (PAID AND UNPAID)
The 2007 Survey of Work in Selected Culture and Leisure Activities (ABS, 2007)
collected information on people who had a work involvement in culture and leisure
activities in the 12-months before the interview. The survey included those people
whose involvement was in a main or second job, was casual or whose work was
unpaid.
In Victoria, 21% of the population aged 15 years and over (or 877,300 persons) had
involvement in selected culture and leisure activities in the 12-months ending April
2007. The majority of these people (67%) received no payment for their involvement in
the cultural activity.
2.6 Persons involved in selected culture and leisure activities(a)(b), by payment
status, Victoria and Australia, 2007
Victoria
Number
Australia
Percentage of
total population
Number
Percentage of
total population
Some paid involvement(c)
278.8
6.8%
1 062.1
6.5%
Unpaid involvement only
587.1
14.3%
2 428.6
14.9%
Total persons involved
877.3
21.4%
3 531.0
21.7%
(a) In the 12-months before interview.
(b) Persons aged 15 years and over.
(c) Includes persons who only received goods or services as payment.
(d) Includes people whose payment status was not known.
Source: ABS data available on request, Work in Selected Culture and Leisure Activities, Australia, April 2007.
In Victoria, the more common cultural work activities included writing (154,300),
photography (148,300) and creating artwork with a computer (138,600).
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A Statistical Overview: Arts and Culture in Victoria
2.7 Persons involved in selected culture and leisure activities(a)(b), Victoria and
Australia, 2007
Type of activity
Heritage
Museum
Public art gallery
Library or archive
Heritage organisation
Botanic gardens
National park or reserve
Zoo or aquarium
Total heritage(d)
Arts
Visual art activities
Drawing
Painting
Sculpture
Photography
Print making
Creating artwork with a computer
Other visual art activities
Total visual art activities(d)
Craft activities
Pottery or ceramics
Textiles
Jewellery making
Furniture making or wood crafts
Glass crafts
Other craft activities
Total craft activities(d)
Writing
Publishing
Performing arts
Involved in performing arts but not as a performer
Involved in performing arts as a performer
Total performing arts
Music
Had involvement in music as a live performer
Did not have involvement in music as a live performer
Total music
Radio
Television
Film production
Cinema or video distribution
Designing websites
Designing computer games, or other interactive software
Design
Teaching
Festival
Art or craft show
Victoria
(‘000)
Australia
(‘000)
% in Vic
(c)
8.7
16.9
20.3
21.8
*9.8
30.7
**2.4
91.3
57.9
49.2
108.5
96.0
28.2
94.9
13.1
371.0
15.0%
34.3%
18.7%
22.7%
*34.8%
32.3%
**18.3%
24.6%
125.2
95.1
23.2
148.3
*14.2
138.6
*8.8
325.3
558.0
463.0
94.1
638.6
96.7
552.5
46.7
1 411.7
22.4%
20.5%
24.7%
23.2%
*14.8%
25.1%
*19.2%
23.0%
21.8
81.9
38.3
68.4
*4.6
66.4
237.1
154.3
51.4
81.5
282.4
192.9
316.8
34.1
260.4
960.8
606.5
208.4
26.8%
29.0%
19.9%
21.6%
*13.5%
25.5%
24.7%
25.5%
24.6%
56.7
64.1
120.8
223.3
283.0
506.3
25.4%
22.6%
23.9%
79.5
25.5
105.0
26.3
15.4
31.5
*10.9
60.0
*13.2
124.4
64.2
114.1
47.2
252.5
82.6
335.1
105.9
77.4
101.0
32.5
254.3
75.4
459.2
256.7
409.8
200.0
31.5%
30.9%
31.3%
24.8%
19.9%
31.2%
*33.5%
23.6%
*17.5%
27.1%
25.0%
27.8%
23.6%
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A Statistical Overview: Arts and Culture in Victoria
Type of activity
Government arts department or agency
Total art(d)
Total(d)
Victoria
(‘000)
*6.9
840.8
877.3
Australia
(‘000)
41.1
3 386.7
3 531.0
% in Vic
(c)
*16.8%
24.8%
24.8%
* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution
** estimate has a relative standard error greater than 50% and is considered too unreliable for general use
(a)In the 12-months before interview.
(b Persons aged 15 years and over.
(c) According to the 2006 Census of Population and Housing, 25% of Australia’s population lived in Victoria in August 2006.
(d) Components may not add to totals as some persons were involved in more than one activity.
Source: Work in Selected Culture and Leisure Activities, Australia, April 2007 (cat. no. 6281.0).
Work in culture activities (paid and unpaid) by regions of Victoria
The following table shows involvement in selected culture and leisure activities by
Statistical Region.
2.8 Persons involved in selected culture and leisure activities(a)(b), Victoria, by
statistical region, 2007
Statistical Region
Total persons involved in
selected organised
cultural activities (‘000)
Percentage of
population aged
15 years and
over
Melbourne Major Statistical Region
Inner Melbourne
Southern Melbourne
70.0
30.0%
73.6
21.6%
Inner Eastern Melbourne
130.5
26.7%
North Eastern Melbourne
82.7
22.7%
North Western Melbourne
22.3
9.4%
Outer Western Melbourne
101.4
19.7%
Mornington Peninsula
44.7
21.5%
Outer Eastern Melbourne
67.9
23.4%
South Eastern Melbourne
Total Melbourne
*19.6
*6.4%
612.7
20.5%
Balance of Victoria Major
Barwon-Western District
66.6
21.1%
*41.9
*26.2%
Loddon-Mallee
56.0
24.6%
Goulburn-Ovens-Murray
52.9
23.1%
All Gippsland
47.1
25.7%
264.5
23.7%
877.3
21.4%
Central Highlands-Wimmera
Total balance of Victoria
Total Victoria
* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution
(a) In the 12-months before interview.
(b) Persons aged 15 years and over.
Source: ABS data available on request, Work in Selected Culture and Leisure Activities, Australia, April 2007.
For further detail about Statistical Regions, see ABS publication Australian Standard
Geographical Classification (ASGC), Jul 2009 (cat. no. 1216.0).
9
A Statistical Overview: Arts and Culture in Victoria
CULTURAL HOBBIES
The ABS 2007 Survey of Work in Selected Culture and Leisure Activities also collected
data on people who had a hobby in art or craft, writing or music. The survey defined a
hobby as an activity for the participants’ own use, or for the benefit of their family. It is
important to note that some of those who are recorded as having a work involvement
may also have had an involvement as a hobby.
In Victoria, 548,500 people were involved in Art and craft as a hobby activity,
compared with 85,700 in Writing and 67,800 in Music.
2.9 Persons with a work and hobby involvement in selected culture activities
(a)(b), Victoria, 2007
Work (c)
‘000
Victoria
%
Hobby activity only
‘000
Persons
%
‘000
%
482.9
46.8%
548.5
53.2%
1 031.4
100.0%
Art and craft
Australia
2 008.5
48.4%
2 140.1
51.6%
4 148.6
100.0%
Victoria
154.3
64.3%
85.7
35.7%
240.1
100.0%
Australia
606.5
63.0%
356.9
37.0%
963.4
100.0%
Victoria
105.0
60.8%
67.8
39.2%
172.8
100.0%
Australia
335.1
55.8%
265.0
44.2%
600.1
100.0%
Writing
Music
(a) Persons aged 15 years and over.
(b) In the 12-months before interview.
(c) Work includes persons who only undertook paid or unpaid involvements and those who undertook work as well as
a hobby activity.
Source: ABS data available on request, Work in Selected Culture and Leisure Activities, April 2007.
CULTURAL VOLUNTEERS
The ABS conducted the 2010 Voluntary Work Survey to measure the extent of
voluntary work in Australia and the types of organisations that volunteers assisted.
This survey defined a volunteer as someone who willingly gave unpaid help in the form
of time, services or skills, through an organisation or group.
The survey found that 1.5 million people aged 18 years and over (36%) in Victoria
undertook volunteer work in the 12-months prior to interview, with 113,800 people
volunteering for an arts or heritage organisation. This was 8% of the volunteer
population (3% of total adult population) in Victoria, compared with 7% of the volunteer
population (2% of total adult population) nationally.
10