Chapter 2: Statistical snapshot
Age profile
In absolute terms there were increases in the number of staff in all age groups during 2002–03. In percentage terms, the largest increases were in the 20–24 and 55 and over age groups.
Table 2.2 shows the proportion of staff in 10 year age groups at June 1994, 1997, 2000 and 2003. In the year to June 2003, the largest increase was in the 55 and over age group, which rose 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, the 35–44 year age group’s representation, while the largest of any age group, dropped 1.0 percentage points. This pattern is very similar to that which occurred in the previous year.
Table 2.2: Ongoing staff—proportion by age
| Age group | June 1994 (%) | June 1997 (%) | June 2000 (%) | June 2003 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 25 | 8.4 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 4.9 |
| 25–34 | 30.9 | 28.3 | 26.1 | 26.0 |
| 35–44 | 33.0 | 34.0 | 33.5 | 31.4 |
| 45–54 | 22.1 | 26.6 | 29.6 | 29.3 |
| 55 and over | 5.6 | 5.7 | 6.6 | 8.3 |
Source: APSED
In the 10 years to June 2003, the strongest growth, in percentage terms, has been in the 45–54 age group. The group to show the highest percentage decline over the decade was the under 25s, although this is mainly due to decline in the under 20 group. The 55 and over age group has grown steadily over the period, particularly in the past couple of years.
Figure 2.10 shows that the proportion of employees aged 20–24 has recovered somewhat since 2000, after declining substantially for several years. At June 2003, this age group accounted for 4.8% of ongoing employees, up slightly from 4.5% the previous year.
Figure 2.10: Ongoing staff—representation of 20–24 year olds, 1994 to 2003
Source: APSED
Figure 2.11 shows that, in general, the APS is older than the wider Australian labour force, with a significantly lower proportion of young people and more in the 35–54 age group. There is also a lower proportion of older people (aged over 55) in the APS. In 2003, 60.8% of APS employees were aged 35–54, compared with only 45.2% of the labour force.
Figure 2.11: Age profile of APS ongoing staff and labour force, June 2003
Source: APSED and ABS
In broad terms, the age profile of the APS would seem to reflect four major factors: the ageing of the Australian workforce generally; the large cohort of recruits into the APS in the late 1960s and early 1970s; the skills structure of the APS with its emphasis on graduates and clerical skills; and its superannuation arrangements, offering pensions from age 55.
Staff in the 45 and over age group, who will be eligible for retirement within the next 10 years, account for over a third of ongoing employees (37.6%). They are more likely to be in senior classifications and, in general, have longer length of service than average. The proportion of staff in this age group varies between agencies. For example, only 21.7% of staff in the Australian Protective Service (Protective Service) and 28.1% of Treasury staff are aged over 45, compared with 55.0% in the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and 53.9% in the Department of Veterans’Affairs (DVA). More typically, around 40% of staff in Defence, ATO, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and ABS are in this age group.
Agencies’ age profiles vary widely. This reflects, in part, the nature of an agency’s functions and classification structures. Those agencies with a relatively high proportion of staff aged over 45 may face more critical workforce planning and knowledge management issues than those with a younger age profile. Figure 2.12 shows comparative age profiles for selected APS agencies at June 2003. The graph includes all those agencies with more than 1500 ongoing staff, as well as some others with particularly young or old age profiles.
Figure 2.12: Ongoing staff in selected agencies by age group, June 2003
Source: APSED
The ageing of more senior ongoing employees over the last 10 years is particularly pronounced. For example, 27.4% of SES and 18.1% of EL employees were aged 50–54 years at June 2003; compared with 21.1% and 11.9% at June 1994. A similar pattern is shown for the 55 and over age group, with 15.1% of SES and 8.5% of ELs aged over 55, compared with 9.9% and 6.0% 10 years ago. Thus, 42.5% of the SES and 26.6% of ELs could, if they wished, retire with superannuation benefits within five years.