Number of workers in Australian wine industry drops, though more women and older people
The number of people employed in wine production and grape growing in Australia has fallen in the past six years, though the number of women has increased, and the workforce is ageing.
Back in 2011 there were around 22,000 people employed in wine production and grape growing in Australia, according to the ABS. The 2016 census revealed that wine production accounted for over half (53%) of drinks manufacturing in terms of employment numbers, with women comprising 35% of the workforce.
However, by 2016, the total employment in wine manufacturing and grape growing fell by 7% overall, with grape growing bearing the brunt of this decline. Employment within grape growing dropped by 17%, while it also dropped to 24% of all fruit growing employment from 30%.
In wine production although total employment is down by 1% compared to 2011, its share of total beverage manufacturing has increased to 55%, at the expense of soft drink manufacuturing.
Meanwhile, the proportion of women employed in wine production has increased from 35% to 38%, and is above the overall average for beverage manufacturing(34%) and for all manufacturing (28%). However, the number of women in senior roles, estimated to be between 8 – 10% shows that the wine sector has a long way to go before this proportion is a true reflection of the broader population.
And within grape growing, the decline in employment since 2011 has been greater for women (19%) than for men (16%), while overall employment of women in the sector is still well below 50%.