Demographic characteristics of trade unionists in Australia: An exploratory study

Australian union membership is in decline. While the reasons for this decline are complex, little authoritative empirical information is available with regards to the social, economic and work background of those who chose to join unions, and those who do not. This paper draws upon information from a large survey of the Australian labour force conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2000. The paper finds that the demographic trends that reflect union membership point to further declines in future, and speculates on some areas of potential improvements for membership numbers.