(Last Reviewed :  1/03/2010 )

Key Points

  • The manufacturing industry is a vital part of the Australian economy. The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that manufacturing industry employs over 985,000 Australians, and contributed $103.4 billion or 8.7 per cent to our GDP in 2008-09.
  • From 1998-99 to 2008-09, the manufacturing sector grew by an annual average rate of 0.9 per cent, whereas over the same period, the Australian economy has recorded an annual average growth rate of 3.2 per cent.
  • Manufacturing exports were worth $81.4 billion in 2009; this represents 41.5 per cent of Australia’s total exports. 
  • However, the global financial crisis has affected manufacturing employment, which has fallen by around 29,300 persons through the year to November 2009 (down 2.9 per cent compared to November 2008).
  • The national unemployment rate for January 2010 decreased 0.2 per cent to 5.3 per cent from its December level of 5.5 per cent while the participation rate remained unchanged at 65.3 per cent.

Facts and Figures

Table 1: Industry Gross Value Added, Chain Volume Measures ($ million)

Industry

1998-99

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

Year on Year

Annual average growth since 1999 -09

Food, beverage and tobacco

 19,608

20,882 

21,086

20,895

 21,103

21,077

 20,434

-3.1% 

   0.4% 

TCF and leather

7,642 

6,948 

6,055

5,553 

5,501 

5,761 

5,160

 -10.4% 

 -3.9%

Wood and paper products

 6,696

7,492 

 7,548

7,283 

7,079 

6,804 

6,289

 -7.6% 

 -0.6% 

Printing, publishing and recorded media

3,493 

4,733 

4,439 

4,246 

 4,290

4,399 

  3,630 

 -17.5%

  0.4% 

Petroleum, coal, chemical

17,719 

19,369

19,388 

 18,760

 18,415

18,879 

16,989 

-10.0% 

 -0.4% 

Non-metallic mineral products

 3,367

4,338 

4,526 

5,059 

5,174 

5,407 

5,375 

 -0.6%

 4.8%

Metal products

 20,889

22,240 

21,661 

21,691 

 23,839

26,533 

25,678 

 -3.2%

 2.1% 

Machinery and equipment

16,499 

19,677 

19,667 

20,424 

 20,403

 21,084

 19,875

 -5.7%

 1.9% 

Total Manufacturing

94,906 

105,196 

 103,998

103,722 

105,660

109,944

103,431 

-5.9% 

0.9% 

Total Industry Value Added

875,919

 1,035,750

1,065,166

 1,097,866

1,139,256 

1,181,750

1,194,695 

 1.1%

 3.2%

Manufacturing share of GDP

10.8%

10.2%

9.8%

9.4%

9.3%

9.3%

8.7%

-6.9%

   -2.2%

Note: Figures may not add due to rounding.
Source: ABS, Australian National Accounts: National Income, Expenditure and Product (Cat No 5206.0), Table 33.

From 1998-99 to 2008-09, the manufacturing sector grew by an annual average rate of 0.9 per cent – well down on the growth rate of 3.2 per cent for the economy in general over the same period.  Over the same period, output in textile, clothing, footwear and leather manufacturing contracted sharply by an average rate of 3.9 per cent per annum.  However, this has been offset by growth in non-metallic mineral products manufacturing; metal products manufacturing; and machinery and equipment.  This reflects, in part, the outputs from these sectors being used by the resources sector.

Table 2: Total Manufacturing Employment by State and Territory, original ('000s)

 

Nov - 2000

Nov - 2005

Nov - 2006

Nov - 2007

Nov - 2008

Aug -2009

Nov -2009 Change from last quarter

Change from Nov 2008 to Nov 2009

Percentage of 12 month change

Annual average growth since 1999-09

New South Wales

322.3 

 316.9

295.3 

318.8 

 297.8

306.3

302.1 -4.2

4.3 

1.4% 

0.8% 

Victoria

356.7

 328.1

310.2 

322.2

 306.4

306.9 

294.9 -11.9

 -11.5

-3.8% 

 -1.1%

Queensland

172.8 

179.3 

 188.6

 185.4

190.6 

193.2 

183.0 -10.1

-7.6 

-4.0% 

1.1% 

Western Australia

88.3

 91.7

 93.5

92.7 

96.1 

82.4

82.5 0.1

-13.6 

-14.1% 

-1.1% 

South Australia

88.0 

94.1 

94.7 

94.8 

96.7 

98.0 

96.3 -1.6

-0.3 

-0.4% 

 0.7%

Tasmania

22.9 

23.0 

20.7 

24.9 

18.1

19.5

18.1 -1.3

 0.0

 0.1%

 -2.8%

Northern Territory

4.2 

 2.5

2.7 

4.2

4.0 

4.6 

5.4 0.8

 1.4

34.3% 

 3.2%

Australian Capital Territory

4.7 

4.8 

4.9

2.0 

 4.8

3.5

2.9 -0.6

-2.0 

-40.5% 

-5.7% 

Total manufacturing

 1,059.9

1,040.4 

1,010.5 

1,045.0 

1,014.7 

1,014.3 

985.4 -28.9

-29.3

-2.9% 

-0.5% 

Total Australia

9,010.8 

10,064.4 

10,330.7 

10,621.7 

10,778.2 

10,706.5 

10,848.8 142.3

 70.6

0.7% 

2.1% 

Manufacturing share

11.8%

10.3% 

9.8% 

9.8% 

 9.4%

9.5% 

9.1% 0.0

 0.0

 -3.5%

-2.5% 

Source: ABS, Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, Quarterly, November 2009 (Cat No 6291.0.55.003)

Table 3: Total Manufacturing Employment by industry sub-divisions, original ('000s)

Nov - 2000

Nov - 2005

Nov - 2006

Nov - 2007

Nov - 2008

Aug - 2009

Nov - 2009 Change from last quarter

Change from Aug 2008 to Aug 2009

Percentage of 12 month change

Annual average growth since 1999-09

Manufacturing, nfd ;

 24.2

64.3

 58.0

70.1 

 70.5

91.2 

79.7 -11.5

 9.2

13.0% 

52.4%

Food Product

180.7 

178.5 

186.9

204.6 

207.3 

196.0 

203.4 7.4

-3.9 

-1.9%

1.3%

Beverage and Tobacco Product

24.8 

26.6 

22.9 

22.0

34.4

 28.3

28.4 0.1

 -6.0

-17.3%

 

5.3%

Textile, Leather, Clothing and Footwear

87.2

59.9 46.8

53.0 

42.4

49.6 

42.5 -7.1

 0.1

0.3%

-7.1

Wood Product

42.9 

 54.2

 48.0

 47.3

47.8 

41.5 

45.7 4.2

 -2.1

 -4.4%

0.9%

Pulp, Paper and Converted Paper

26.0 

26.2 

28.0 

 19.4

20.6

21.5 

14.0 -7.5

-6.5 

 -31.7%

-6.3%

Printing (includes Reproduction of Recorded Media)

 60.7

54.2 

47.8 

54.7 

48.4 

56.5 

50.8 -5.7

 2.4

4.9% 

-1.3%

Petroleum and Coal Product

11.9 

9.9 

6.9 

7.2 

8.2 

6.0 

5.6 -0.4

 -2.6

 -31.7%

-2.2%

Basic Chemical and Chemical

48.0 

39.8 

45.6

44.8 

 43.5

49.4 

49.4 0.0

5.9 

13.6% 

-0.4

Polymer Product and Rubber

42.8

39.4 

41.4 

43.2

34.2 

34.6

34.0 -0.6

 -0.2

0.7% 

-2.9%

Non-Metallic Mineral Product

 40.8

34.6 

31.8

 42.6

39.4 

36.4

33.3 -3.1

-6.1 

 -15.5%

-4.4%

Primary Metal and Metal Product

71.9 

85.3 

 83.1

76.8 

 84.7

79.9 

79.8 -0.1

-4.9 

 -5.8%

3.9%

Fabricated Metal Product

100.4 

78.8 

76.8 

73.9 

64.7

58.3 

59.1 0.8

-5.6 

 -8.7%

-7.0%

Transport Equipment

95.5 

111.7 

110.0 

103.6 

89.4 

93.0 79.9 -13.1

-9.5 

 -10.6%

-0.8%

Machinery and Equipment

117.9 

113.5

113.5 

120.8 

119.1 

123.2 

125.9 2.7

6.8 

 5.7%

0.8%

Furniture and Other

84.4 

63.5 

63.0 

61.1 

60.1 

48.9 

53.8 4.8

-6.4 

 -10.6%

-5.0%

Total Manufacturing

1,059.9 

1,040.4

1,010.5 

 1,045.0

1,014.7 

1,014.3 

985.4 -28.9

-29.3 

 -2.9%

-0.5%

Total- all industries

9,010.8

10,064.4 

10,330.7 

10,621.7 

10,778.2 

10,706.5 

10,848.8 142.3

 70.6

 0.7%

2.1%

Share of manufacturing

 11.8%

10.3% 

 9.8%

9.8% 

 9.4%

 9.5%

9.1% 0.0

 0.0

-3.5% 

-2.5%
Source: ABS,  Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, Quarterly, November 2009 (Cat No 6291.0.55.003)

In the November 2009 quarter, manufacturing employed 985,400 Australians and accounted for 9.1 per cent of the total workforce, down from 9.4 per cent in the November 2008 quarter. Employment in the manufacturing industry contracted by 29,300 persons (a decrease of 2.9 per cent) in the November 2009 quarter compared with the November 2008 quarter.

Most of the job losses from November 2008 to November 2009 occurred in Western Australia (down by 13,600), Victoria (down by 11,500), followed by Queensland (7,600). These job losses continue to reflect restructuring, downsizing, and in some cases, the closure of manufacturing businesses as a result of the impacts of the global financial crisis. 

Over the year from November 2008 to November 2009 the only state and territory with manufacturing employment growth was New South Wales with an increase of 4,300 jobs and the Northern Territory with an increase of 1,400.

Within manufacturing sub-divisions, most of the job losses in the 12 months to November 2009 occurred in: Transport Equipment (down by 9,500 jobs), Pulp, Paper and Converted Paper (down by 6,500), Furniture and Other (down by 6,400), Non-Metal Mineral Product (down by 6,100) and Beverage and Tobacco Product (down by 6,000) indicating that current economic conditions are still contributing to job losses within these sub-divisions.

Table 4: Manufacturing Exports, Fob Value, Original ($ millions)

2006

2007

2008

2009

Year on Year

Annual average growth since 2006

Food Product

14,014

13,353

15,213

14,158

-6.9%

0.3%

Beverage and Tobacco Product

3,029

3,268

2,802

2,623

-6.4%

-4.7%

Textile, Leather, Clothing and Footwear

2,226

2,265

2,138

1,688

-21.0%

-8.8%

Wood Product

1,244

1,312

1,441

1,137

-21.1%

0.0%

Pulp, Paper and Converted Paper Product

911

972

1,046

910

-13.0%

3.5%

Printing (including the Reproduction of Recorded Media)

299

250

262

218

-16.8%

-10.0%

Petroleum and Coal Product

3,242

3,367

3,741

2,609

-30.3%

-7.0%

Basic Chemical and Chemical Product

6,421

7,353

7,601

7,145

-6.0%

3.6%

Polymer Product and Rubber Product

1,102

1,259

1,306

1,180

-9.6%

2.3%

Non-Metallic Mineral Product

303

267

258

253

-1.9%

-5.8%

Primary Metal and Metal Product

30,244

34,295

36,915

31,492

-14.7%

1.4%

Fabricated Metal Product

1,074

1,233

1,340

1,262

-5.8%

5.5%

Transport Equipment

5,667

5,743

6,808

4,214

-38.1%

-9.4%

Machinery and Equipment

10,089

10,914

11,570

10,713

-7.4%

2.0%

Furniture and Other

1,210

1,131

1,427

1,561

9.4%

8.9%

Publishing (except Internet and Music Publishing)

212

240

230

226

-1.7%

2.2%

Total Manufacturing

81,287

87,222

94,098

81,389

-13.5%

0.0%

Total - (ANZSIC) 2006

163,753

168,386

222,341

196,090

-11.8%

6.2%

Manufacturing's share

49.6%

51.8%

42.3%

41.5%

 

 

Due to change in ANZSIC code, information before 2005 is unavailable

Source: ABS, International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia (Cat No 5368.0, Table 32a)

Table 5: Manufacturing Imports, Current Prices, Original ($ million)

2006

2007

2008

2009

Year on Year

Annual average growth since 2006

Food Product

5,986

6,728

7,832

8,074

3.1%

10.5%

Beverage and Tobacco Product

1,626

1,856

2,115

2,204

4.2%

10.7%

Textile, Leather, Clothing and Footwear

8,799

9,058

10,040

9,927

-1.1%

4.1%

Wood Product

1,201

1,302

1,386

1,214

-12.4%

0.4%

Pulp, Paper and Converted Paper Product

2,910

3,057

3,237

2,839

-12.3%

-0.8%

Printing (including the Reproduction of Recorded Media)

1,154

1,282

1,631

1,635

0.2%

12.3%

Petroleum and Coal Product

9,149

8,785

15,842

10,906

-31.2%

6.0%

Basic Chemical and Chemical Product

17,658

18,997

22,204

20,340

-8.4%

4.8%

Polymer Product and Rubber Product

5,919

6,274

6,993

6,724

-3.8%

4.3%

Non-Metallic Mineral Product

1,735

1,836

2,109

1,995

-5.4%

4.8%

Primary Metal and Metal Product

10,619

11,877

17,393

14,620

-15.9%

11.2%

Fabricated Metal Product

5,316

5,789

7,263

6,731

-7.3%

8.2%

Transport Equipment

27,616

29,769

33,717

24,317

-27.9%

-4.2%

Machinery and Equipment

53,845

56,269

61,849

59,652

-3.6%

3.5%

Furniture and Other

5,521

5,907

6,688

6,511

-2.6%

5.7%

Publishing (except Internet and Music Publishing)

861

876

938

868

-7.5%

0.3%

Total Manufacturing

159,915

169,662

201,237

178,557

-11.3%

3.7%

Total - (ANZSIC) 2006

176,089

187,873

225,946

200,598

-11.2%

4.4%

Manufacturing's share

90.8%

90.3%

89.1%

89.0%

 

 

Due to change in ANZSIC code information before 2005 is unavailable

Source: ABS, International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia (Cat No 5368.0, Table 35a)

Manufacturing exports for 2009 were $81.4 billion (in current prices), and accounted for 41.5 per cent of all exports of goods. Manufacturing exports have fallen by 13.5 per cent since 2008. This is slightly above the 11.8 per cent fall in exports for all industries, but manufacturing’s share of all exports of goods has remained at a similar level to 2008. The major manufacturing exports were Primary Metal and Metal Products; Food Product; Machinery and Equipment and Basic Chemical and Chemical Product.

Manufacturing imports for 2009 were $178.6 billion, a fall of 11.3 per cent from the $201.2 billion in 2008. Overall, Australia’s total imports fell by 11.2 per cent in 2009 to $200.6 billion. Manufacturing’s share of imports remained virtually unchanged at 89 per cent. Machinery and Equipment; Transport Equipment; Basic Chemical and Chemical Product; and Primary Metal and Metal Product were the major import items in 2009.

Table 6: Private New Capital Expenditure, Current Prices, Original ($ million)

 

1999

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Year on Year

Annual average growth since 1999

Food Product

1,506

1,724

1,704

1,565

2,081

1,994

-4.2%

2.8%

Beverage and Tobacco Product
689
701
669
722
675
499
-26.1%
-3.2%

Textile, Leather, Clothing and Footwear

216

215

155

119

106

151

42.5%

-3.5%

Wood Product

337

190

237

208

150

393

162.0%

1.5%

Pulp, Paper and Converted Paper Product
656
577
619
558
771
511
-33.7%
-2.5%

Printing (including the Reproduction of Recorded Media)

467

415

401

420

357

546

52.9%

1.6%

Petroleum and Coal Product

392

822

467

346

876

632

-27.9%

4.9%

Basic Chemical and Chemical Product
787
1,357
955
1,102
956
985
3.0%
2.3%
Polymer Product and Rubber Product
360
559
426
473
472
511
8.3%
3.6%

Non-Metallic Mineral Product

385

602

511

478

539

757

40.4%

7.0%

Primary Metal and Metal Product

1,251

3,729

4,173

3,318

3,467

3,265

-5.8%

10.1%

Fabricated Metal Product
690
788
874
939
941
777
-17.4%
1.2%
Transport Equipment
861
1,205
1,278
800
665
438
-34.1%
-6.5%

Machinery and Equipment

595

679

538

339

501

691

37.9%

1.5%

Furniture and Other

59

84

91

82

157

114

-27.4%

6.8%

Total Manufacturing

9,255

13,648

13,100

11,874

12,713

12,268

-3.5%

2.9%

Total - all industries

48,068

72,301

82,598

93,416

106,796

110,096

3.1%

8.6%

                 

Manufacturing Share

19.3%

18.9%

15.9%

12.7%

11.9%

11.1%

-6.4%

-5.3%

Source: ABS, Private New Capital Expenditure and Expected Expenditure, Australia (Cat No 5625.0)

Private new capital expenditure by the manufacturing industry has grown at an annual average rate of 2.9 per cent since 1999 to be around $12.3 billion in 2009.