Review of 2021 Census Topics

Response 610529573

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What is your submission about?

Please provide a brief summary of your submission

Topic name
This proposal seeks addition of topic in the Income and Work section of the Census to capture data on workers in the gig economy (all workers and platform workers). Data is sought on who is working in the gig economy and how often.

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Population
Sex and gender
Households and families
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Ticked Income and work
Unpaid work and care
Education and training
Disability and carers
Housing
Location
Transport
Cultural diversity
Religion
Other topic

Assessment Criteria 1

1. This topic is of current national importance.

National Importance
Yes. A range of policy areas including industrial relations, health and safety and workers compensation need to better understand and address the gig economy.
The regulation of gig work is becoming more important given the size of the growing gig economy. Basic regulation such as pay and conditions and health and safety is currently impossible as there is no virtually no data on gig workers, particularly platform gig workers.

Assessment Criteria 2

2. There is a need for data from a Census of the whole population.

For whole population
Yes. In order to norm any collection that may occur in other surveys.

Assessment Criteria 3

3. The topic can be accurately collected in a form which the household completes themselves.

Easy to answer
Yes. Given appropriate question design, noting that the Australian Bureau of Statistics has advised that question design, for proposals that are accepted, will occur at a later date.

Assessment Criteria 4

4. The topic would be acceptable to Census respondents.

Acceptable
Yes. It is expected that most people would understand the need for this data and be willing and able to accurately respond.

Assessment Criteria 5

5. The topic can be collected efficiently.

Collected efficiently
Yes. This data need can be met with the addition of a few questions in the Census.

Assessment Criteria 6

6. There is likely to be a continuing need for data on this topic in the following Census.

Continuing need
Yes, there is an ongoing need for the proposed data to maintain policy responses in workplace health and safety, industrial relations and workers compensation as well as other areas.

Assessment Criteria 7

7. There are no other alternative data sources or solutions that could meet the topic need.

No alternatives
An addition to the Labour force survey (at least quarterly) would provide useful data. This would need to be normed to the Census.