Aboriginal Economy
An economic pathway which starts with education, leading to jobs and being able to participate in business and commerce is my idea of a real future for Indigenous Australians and importantly the means to participate in the mainstream economy.—Ron Morony, General Manager Indigenous Business Australia [1]
- 48%
- Percentage of Indigenous Australians aged 15-64 who were employed in 2009 [4]. Same figure in 2002: 48% [3].
- 18%
- Unemployment rate of Aboriginal people in 2009, more than three times the rate for all Australians [4]. Same figure in 2008: 16.6% [8], in 2002: 23% [3], in 1994: 31% [8].
- 63%
- Percentage of Aboriginal employees at lower salary levels. Same rate for all employees: 48% [5].
- 4.8%
- Percentage of Aboriginal employees at upper salary levels. Same rate for all employees: 10.4% [5].
- 45.5%
- Percentage of Aboriginal people in 2008 whose main source of personal income was CDEP payments, government pensions or allowances. Same figure in 2002: 60.9% [8].
- 15%
- Percentage of the Western Australian Pilbara population who identifies as Aboriginal [2].
- <1%
- Percentage of Aboriginal businesses in the Pilbara. The Aboriginal unemployment rate in that region is 50% [2].
- 27%
- Percentage of public sector agencies with more than 100 empolyees where Aboriginal employment equals, or is higher than, their population share. Same figure in 2009: 12% [2].
- 12.6%
- Unemployment rate gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in 2009 [4].
- 91%
- Survival rate of Aboriginal businesses in 2011 after one year of operation, after 2 years: 81%, after 3 years: 73% [9].
Stolen Wages, stolen Aboriginal economy
Would you work for 3 cents per hour? Learn how Aboriginal peoples' wages were stolen, read about their fight to get
them back and follow the stolen wages timeline.
Learn more about stolen wages
Stolen Wages timeline
- 2001
- Stolen wagestimelineStolen wages timeline
Aboriginal people did not receive equal wages as late as 1986. Explore the events that led to a government apology,
a wages reparation scheme and a senate committee.
Explore the Stolen Wages timeline
Repaying Stolen Wages
Australian governments are reluctant to take on responsibility for the stolen wages, fearing millions of dollars of
reparations.
Read if governments are repaying stolen wages
Aboriginal employment, jobs & careers
Aboriginal unemployment rates are 3 times the non-Aboriginal rates. Some web-based services exclusively list Aboriginal jobs.
Aboriginal employment, jobs & careers
Internet access in Aboriginal communities
The internet is yet to reach Aboriginal communities. Very few own a computer and even less are connected.
Internet access in Aboriginal communities
Successful Aboriginal economic developments
Many Aboriginal businesses came to be in the early 2000s, but their success stories are rarely told.
Successful Aboriginal economic developments
Many Aboriginal people are "financially excluded"
A study in 2011 for the first time measured "financial exclusion", where people lack access to appropriate and affordable financial services and products.
The study found that Aboriginal people are over-represented in the 'fully excluded' category [7] which means they cannot access a basic transaction account, low rate credit card or basic general insurance.
As a consequence some Aboriginal people struggle with low levels of financial literacy. They have trouble using ATMs and understanding bank balances and fees. In case of an emergency financially excluded people are more likely to turn to unregulated lenders who compound the problem, and they are far more likely to experience social exclusion and financial stress [7]. The tradition of sharing resources among family and relatives puts even more stress on Aboriginal people.
Another problem is that most financial institutions have limited experience in dealing with Aboriginal customers [7] which can create barriers for them. Requirements for proof of identity can pose problems for some Aboriginal people, for example if they are members of the Stolen Generations.
High ATM fees in Aboriginal communities
Food in many Aboriginal communities and homelands is already more expensive than in the bigger cities. Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) add even more to these expenses.
Many communities are serviced by a single ATM, often privately owned [6]. Aboriginal people have to pay up to $10 per transaction or can only withdraw $100 at a time, costing them $5. Some retailers charge $5 for every $50 EFTPOS transaction.
Aboriginal people in remote communities tend to do frequent withdrawals for budgetary reasons and a lack of refrigeration. With an average ATM fee at $2 people can lose up to 20% of their weekly unemployment benefits [6].
"When you are on such a low income and can't avoid those fees, it's a large per cent of your income and there's less money to buy food," says Fiona Guthrie, executive director of the Australian Financial Counselling and Credit Reform Association [6]. She suggests to abolish all ATM fees for ATMs in Aboriginal communities.
[1] 'Looking to leadership in trying times', Koori Mail 440 .48 [2] 'Report calls for a fair go', Koori Mail 472 p.34 [3] 'Gains, but the gap is still wide, study finds', Koori Mail 463 p.9 [4] 'Doubt cast on Govt jobs gap promise', Koori Mail 478 p.9 [5] 'Senior jobs at 10-year low', Koori Mail 489 p.39 [6] 'ATM fees causing concern', Koori Mail 491 p.41 [7] 'We're missing out: Study', Koori Mail 507 p.19 [8] 'Long way to go to end disadvantage', Koori Mail 509 p.9 [9] 'Survey highlights business success', Koori Mail 515 p.29