All statistics are based on the ABS definition that a casual employee is someone who is not entitled to either paid holiday leave or sick leave while any other employee is permanent. While most casual employees are females, the increase in male casual employment has outpaced that of females, albeit from a lower base. Most casual workers in Australia are part-time. Intermediate' and 'elementary clerical, sales and service workers' as well as 'labourers and related workers' account for 72 per cent of all female casuals while the occupations 'tradespersons and related workers', 'intermediate production and transport workers' and 'labourers and related workers' account for 55 per cent of all male casuals. Health and community services' is the next most significant employer of female casuals whereas for males it is the 'property and business services' sector.
Differences exist in the reasons given by males and females for working part-time.
Job availability and study are more important for males, while family considerations are much more important for females. The growth in the casual workforce is due to a complex set of factors on both the supply and demand side of the labour market, with most of the impetus coming from the demand side. The increased participation by females in the labour force over the past 20 years has been an important factor in the growth in casual employment. While more females wanting work have probably led to more casual jobs, the strongest influence is likely to have been in the opposite direction, i.e. more casual jobs have attracted more women into the workforce. On the demand side, the growth in the services sector is often cited as the most important factor contributing to the rise in casual work as this sector is a disproportionate user of casual workers.