The rate of decline slowed in the period between 1986 and 1991, as is indicated in the following comparison of national population change. Only two age groupings increased in number between 1981 and 1991. The reason for these increases is not clear, nor is the issue central to this study, so it has not been pursued further. A more detailed breakdown of employment by industry is provided for 1991. This breakdown is not available for the earlier census years except at high cost, the expenditure for which is not justified in terms of the objectives of this study.
Significant factors associated with the employment statistics include the following.
The decline in the ratio of working males to working females between 1981 and 1991 occurred in all industry groups recorded with the exception of mining. This is in line with the national movement. The inconsistencies between the census and registered unemployed figures highlight the analytical difficulties of using national data sets, as noted in section 4.1. The number of part-time workers increased from 306 in 1981 to 762 in 1991, matching the national trend. More detail could have been obtained by using less aggregated statistics.