Special Care Workers
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Special Care Workers provide care and supervision for children and young people in residential and institutional facilities, and provide care and support to people in refuges.
Tasks
-
planning and implementing programs of supervision and care for children in residential care
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supervising and arranging activities to enhance the physical, social, emotional and intellectual development of children in residential care
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waking children and ensuring they are washed, dressed, fed and ready for educational and recreational activities
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supervising children during domestic activities such as eating meals and showering
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maintaining discipline, enforcing regulations and behaviour standards, compiling disciplinary reports and assisting in implementing remedial measures
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organising refuge accommodation
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providing emotional support to residents of refuges
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referring residents of refuges for health and welfare assistance
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ensuring security of refuge
Characteristics
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University
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Vocational Education and Training (VET)
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Informal or on-the-job
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Enterprising
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Helping
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Sedentary
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Light
-
Medium
-
Heavy
Outlook
JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:
- is expected to grow strongly
- is likely to reach 5,900 by 2026.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.
Number of Workers
Year | Employment |
---|---|
2011 | 1,900 |
2012 | 1,600 |
2013 | 3,500 |
2014 | 2,800 |
2015 | 2,900 |
2016 | 2,800 |
2017 | 1,900 |
2018 | 2,200 |
2019 | 7,700 |
2020 | 1,800 |
2021 | 5,100 |
2026 | 5,900 |
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
-
Around 52% of people employed as Special Care Workers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 14 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 46 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
Median full-time earnings are $1,296 per week, this is much lower than the all jobs median ($1,593):
- 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,071
- 1 in 4 earn more than $1,813
Median hourly earnings are $41, this is the same as the all jobs median ($41 per hour).
Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.
Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)
Earnings | Special Care Workers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Full-Time Earnings | 1,296 | 1,593 |
Total Earnings | 0 | 0 |
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Industries
Main industries
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Most Special Care Workers work in the Education and training industry. They are also employed in industries like:
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, annual average 2021.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | Special Care Workers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 20.5 | 31.6 |
VIC | 21.6 | 25.6 |
QLD | 23.9 | 20.0 |
SA | 6.6 | 7.0 |
WA | 18.7 | 10.8 |
TAS | 1.8 | 2.0 |
NT | 5.5 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.3 | 1.9 |
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Around 52% of Special Care Workers live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.
Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland have a large share of employment relative to their population size.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Worker profile
Age and gender
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The median age of Special Care Workers is 38 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.
Females make up 69% of the workforce. This is 21 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | Special Care Workers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 3.6 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 17.4 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 23.3 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 16.4 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 18.0 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 9.0 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 6.7 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 5.5 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 38 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Special Care Worker. Although some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification in residential care, community services, social services, child, youth, and family intervention, or related studies.
Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Health Industry and Community Services VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Special Care Workers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 7.8 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 19.6 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 20.6 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 18.0 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 22.4 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 3.6 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 8.0 | 12.5 |
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers look for Special Care Workers who are caring, compassionate and empathetic and communicate clearly, with strong people skills.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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66%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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64%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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63%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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61%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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59%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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59%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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59%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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57%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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55%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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55%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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54%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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54%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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54%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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50%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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50%
Operations analysisUnderstanding needs and product requirements to create a design.
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48%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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46%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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45%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
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45%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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45%
ScienceUsing scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
87%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
71%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
67%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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58%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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52%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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49%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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48%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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47%
Philosophy and theologyPhilosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
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44%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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43%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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35%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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25%
TransportationMoving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
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23%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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22%
Foreign languageForeign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
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21%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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21%
Medicine and dentistryDiagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
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20%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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19%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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12%
GeographyDescribing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
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6%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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63%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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61%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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61%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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59%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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57%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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57%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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57%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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55%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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55%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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54%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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50%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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48%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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48%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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46%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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45%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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41%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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39%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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39%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
-
36%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
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36%
Perceptual speedUse your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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78%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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78%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
74%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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72%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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70%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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68%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
67%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
66%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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65%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
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63%
Helping and caring for othersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
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60%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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59%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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58%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
-
56%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
54%
Coordinating the work of a teamGetting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
52%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
-
51%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
51%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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49%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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48%
Leading and encouraging a teamEncouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
Interests and demands
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
100%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
62%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
52%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
48%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
43%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
14%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
Values
-
95%
RelationshipsServe and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
86%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
76%
IndependenceWork alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
71%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
67%
SupportSupportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
-
52%
RecognitionAdvancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
Demands
-
100%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
-
99%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
98%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
-
96%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
-
93%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
-
90%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
-
87%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
87%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
87%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
87%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
-
86%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
84%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
-
84%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
-
83%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
-
82%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
-
80%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
-
74%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
-
73%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
-
73%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
-
67%
In an enclosed vehicle or equipmentWork in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 21-1021.00 - Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Links and downloads
Research and reports
The Skills Priority List provides a current labour market rating and a future demand rating for nearly 800 occupations nationally. Current labour market ratings are available for occupations at a state and territory level.
Downloads
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Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.