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some comparative data are also provided for other health occupations. These occupations were selected because they are the largest and the ones for which there is relatively recent good data coverage. The numbers of students who commenced undergraduate courses in health-related Þelds in 1995 and 2000, and key components of migration for employment of people in major health occupations are also described. Finally, an international comparison is given of medical practitioners, nurses and dentists in terms of numbers per 1,000 population in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, and changes between 1981 and 1998.

Health industry employees

In 2000, there were an estimated 643,500 people employed in the health industry (excluding veterinary services), comprising 7.1% of the total civilian workforce in Australia (Table 5.16). Of these, 386,500 (60.1%) were full-time employees, and 256,500 (39.9%) were part time. Part-time employees represented a higher than average percentage, compared with the total civilian workforce (26.3%). This is because the health industry tends to attract female workers, who make up 78.1% of the health workforceÑmuch higher than in the total civilian workforce (43.8%). Females (43.7%) are more likely than males (12.8%) to work part time in general, and in the health industry, 47.1% of female workers are part time, compared with 14.1% of males. In fact, 92.3% of part-time health employees in 2000 were female.

In comparison to the workforces of other industries, the health industry is relatively fast-growing. Between 1995 and 2000, it increased by 12.1%, compared with a 9.6% increase in the total civilian workforce. Over this period, the increase in part-time employment (19.2%) was much greater than that for full-time employment (7.5%). These increases were greater than the percentage increases in the civilian workforce (17.5% and 7.1% respectively).

Across the broad industry groups within the health industry, the increase in employment for medical and dental services (16.9%) was greater than those for hospitals and nursing homes (12.0%) and other health services (excluding veterinary services) (7.1%), with the increases in part-time employment being much greater than for full-time employment in each industry.

Health occupations

Health occupations comprise professionals who diagnose and treat physical and mental illnesses and conditions and recommend, administer, dispense and develop medications and treatment to promote or restore good health. In this section, only the

following are discussed: medical practitioners, nurses, dental practitioners, pharmacists, physiotherapists and medical imaging professionals.

Of the 328,800 employees in health occupations in 2000Ð01, over three quarters (76.3%) were females (Table 5.17), but this varied widely across occupations, from 95.5% for enrolled nurses and 91.0% for registered nurses, to 17.2% for dentists. Of the females, 44.1% worked part time compared with 9.6% of males.

Between 1996Ð97 and 2000Ð01, the number of health professionals increased by 8.2%, with males up by 4.0% and females up 9.6%. The overall increase in the female workforce was reßected in almost all occupations, with enrolled nurses (down 22.9%) being the only occupation to fall.

Advances in medical technology may account for the rapid increase in the medical imaging occupation (up 27.6%), with more widespread use of magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound and computerised tomography scanning. This occupation recorded the greatest increase between 1996Ð97 and 2000Ð01, with marked increases also recorded for physiotherapists and pharmacists. The largest decreases occurred in the number of enrolled nurses, down 24.1%, but this was accompanied by an increase of 11.6% in registered nurses.

Table 5.16: Health industry employees, 2000

Industry

Males Females Persons _{Per cent}

female Full-time Part-time Full-time Part-time Full-time Part-time Total

Hospitals and nursing homes

2000 (’000) 65.5 10.3 184.0 148.3 249.5 158.5 408.5 81.4 Increase from

1995 (%) 1.9 17.1 11.2 17.0 8.6 17.0 12.0 . .

Medical and dental services

2000 (’000) 30.3 4.3 43.3 52.3 73.5 56.5 129.5 73.4 Increase from

1995 (%) 8.0 30.8 12.3 27.4 10.5 27.7 16.9 . .

Other health services (excluding veterinary services)

2000 (’000) 24.8 5.3 38.8 36.3 63.5 41.5 105.5 71.1 Increase from

1995 (%) –9.2 31.3 7.6 15.1 0.4 16.9 7.1 . .

Health services (excluding veterinary services)

2000 (’000) 120.5 19.8 266.0 236.8 386.5 256.5 643.5 78.1 Increase from

1995 (%) 0.8 23.4 10.8 18.8 7.5 19.2 12.1 . .

Total civilian workforce

2000 (’000) 4,414.5 647.8 2,222.5 1,724.5 6,637.0 2,372.3 9,009.3 43.8 Increase from

1995 (%) 6.0 26.5 9.3 14.4 7.1 17.5 9.6 . .

. . Not applicable.

Note: Annual figures are the average of the four quarters. Source: ABS Labour Force Survey data, from AUSTATS.

Table 5.17: Workforces in selected health occupations, 2000Ð01

Occupation

Males Females Persons

Per cent female Full- time Part- time Total Full- time Part- time Total Full- time Part- time Total Generalist medical practitioners

Workforce (’000) 21.3 2.0 23.0 7.5 3.8 11.5 28.8 5.8 34.5 33.3 Change since

1996–97 (%) n.a. n.a. –_4.2 n.a. n.a. — n.a. n.a. –_2.8 . . Specialist medical practitioners

Workforce (’000) 10.3 0.8 11.3 2.8 1.5 4.0 13.0 2.3 15.3 26.2 Change since

1996–97 (%) n.a. n.a. –10.0 n.a. n.a. 6.7 n.a. n.a. –6.2 . . Registered nurses(a)

Workforce (’000) 15.0 1.3 16.5 91.0 76.0 166.8 106.0 77.3 183.3 91.0 Change since

1996–97 (%) n.a. n.a. 22.2 n.a. n.a. 10.6 n.a. n.a. 11.6 . . Enrolled nurses

Workforce (’000) 1.0 0.3 1.0 11.3 10.0 21.0 12.3 10.3 22.0 95.5 Change since

1996–97 (%) n.a. n.a. –42.9 n.a. n.a. –22.9 n.a. n.a. –24.1 . . Dental practitioners

Workforce (’000) 5.5 0.8 6.0 1.0 0.3 1.3 6.5 1.0 7.3 17.2 Change since

1996–97 (%) n.a. n.a. –_4.0 n.a. n.a. — n.a. n.a. –_3.3 . . Pharmacists

Workforce (’000) 5.5 1.0 6.8 6.0 3.3 9.0 11.5 4.3 15.8 57.1 Change since

1996–97 (%) n.a. n.a. — n.a. n.a. 50.0 n.a. n.a. 23.5 . . Physiotherapists

Workforce (’000) 2.0 0.5 2.0 5.5 4.8 10.0 7.5 5.3 12.0 83.3 Change since

1996–97 (%) n.a. n.a. 14.3 n.a. n.a. 25.0 n.a. n.a. 23.1 . . Medical imaging professionals

Workforce (’000) 3.5 — 3.5 3.3 2.5 5.8 6.8 2.5 9.3 62.2 Change since

1996–97 (%) n.a. n.a. 55.6 n.a. n.a. 15.0 n.a. n.a. 27.6 . . Total(b)

Workforce (’000) 70.5 7.5 77.8 141.0 110.8 251.0 211.5 118.3 328.8 76.3 Change since

1996–97 (%) 6.0 11.1 4.0 11.0 7.5 9.6 9.3 7.7 8.2 . .

n.a. Not available. . . Not applicable.

(a) Includes nurse managers, educators, researchers, registered midwives, registered mental health nurses and

developmental disability nurses.

(b) Excludes veterinary surgeons; includes other health professionals not individually shown.

Note: Data compiled by averaging rounded quarterly data. Figures showing per cent changes between 1996–97 and 2000–01 should be treated with caution, due to rounding of numbers and sampling variability.