Measuring unpaid care in the Labour Account consultation

Overview

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has been funded to expand the Labour Account to improve estimates on the total hours spent on unpaid care and their monetary value. These new measures will improve the visibility of the contribution of unpaid care to society and the economy, alongside the extensive information on paid work.

This information paper presents early experimental estimates of unpaid childcare in Australia for June quarter 2021, based on initial work on concepts and methods, along with information on further plans and future directions.

The valuation of unpaid care is an emerging area of measurement internationally and the approach is expected to evolve over time. This consultation will provide an opportunity for the public to provide the ABS with feedback on the current approach to measuring unpaid care in the Labour Account.

Why your views matter

Feedback from the Consultation Hub will help the ABS prioritise and refine unpaid care estimates to ensure they meet the needs of users. This feedback will guide the production of more detailed experimental estimates to be published in mid-2025.

To make a submission:

1. Please read the information:
    
   • Measuring the labour contribution of unpaid care in the Labour Account information paper
   • Measuring unpaid care in the Labour Account FAQs
   • Measuring unpaid care in the Labour Account consultation Collection Notice

All papers are linked under the heading Related at the bottom of the ABS Consultation Hub Overview page.

2. A link is provided on the ABS Consultation Hub for the Measuring unpaid care in the Labour Account survey where you will be guided to provide feedback through a series of questions. You are not required to respond to every question, although your submission will be strengthened by your ability to answer this survey as thoroughly as possible.

The closing date for submission is 28 February 2025.

The ABS will consider all submissions received from this consultation and will provide an update on future directions in mid-2025.

The ABS will not respond to individual submissions, instead a summary will be published in response to all submissions.