The ABS has released the data from their annual Education and Work, Australia survey. The research finds that “of people aged 15-74 years:
- 64% had a non-school qualification
- 80% with a non-school qualification, and 58% without, were employed
- 84% who finished a non-school qualification in 2024 were employed in 2025.
Of people aged 15-24 years:
- 63% were currently studying
- 8% were not engaged in any work or study.”
The ABS categorises people as “fully engaged” when they are working or studying full-time or combining work and study, and as “partially engaged” when they are working or studying part-time. In 2025 of people aged 15-74 years:
- 12.3 million people (61%) were fully engaged in work, study, or both
- 71% of men were fully engaged
- 52% of women were fully engaged.
Note that the ABS is looking at people aged up to 74 years – a marked difference from earlier years when the working population was people aged 15 to 64 years. This change recognises both increases in the retirement age in Australia and the increasing desire of some workers to continue in employment beyond the current retirement age.
Notably 19.4% of men aged 65-74 years are fully engaged in work and/or study, as well as 8.0% of women. Undoubtedly those rates will increase in the years ahead and these older workers present a real opportunity for the VET sector to help them continue to adapt to a changing workplace and remain engaged.
Looking at those aged 15 to 24 years, the ABS reports real differences in their level of engagement in work or study based on where they live. Young people in the city have much higher rates of engagement in work and study than those in outer regional and remote areas:
- major cities: fully engaged (83%), partially engaged (10%), not engaged in study or work (7%)
- inner regional: fully (75%), partially (15%), not engaged (10%)
- outer regional and remote: fully (75%), partially (12%), not engaged (13%).
The survey also reports data on those working as an apprentice or trainee (excluding school-based apprentices and trainees) and finds:
- “34% were aged 15-19 years
- 39% were aged 20-24 years
- 78% were men
- 43% had started their apprenticeship or traineeship in the last 12 months
- 16% were born overseas
- 66% of people’s usual residence was in a greater capital city area, and
- 22% were employed within the electrotechnology and telecommunications field followed by 21% within the construction field.”
