Australia's $3 million unpaid carers deserve to be seen and deserve to be valued.
That's why the Albanese Government is funding the Australian Bureau of Statistics to help develop more accurate insights on the contribution carers make to our great country.
Consultation on the best approach to measuring the labour contribution of unpaid carers in Australia starts today, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) collecting submissions over a 3-month period.
Feedback received will be used to guide the development and refinement of more detailed experimental estimates to be published in mid-2025. This will be an annual release as part of the Labour Account, using a combination of the Time Use Survey and established ABS earnings estimates.
We are committed to making sure unpaid carers are recognised, valued, and empowered in their vital work.
In September 2023, the Albanese Government released Working Future: The Australian Government's White Paper on Jobs and Opportunity. The paper highlighted gaps in labour market data on unpaid care that, when addressed, will better inform policy development around the availability and affordability of care services, and support for unpaid carers.
Valuing unpaid care is also a priority of Working for Women: a strategy for gender equality, and the Government is also finalising the National Carer Strategy - delivering on an election commitment to set the direction and course for our effort to drive positive change for carers.
We have also provided the following support since the Albanese Labor Government was elected:
- Providing over $911 million over four years to 2026-27 for carer support services, including the Carer Gateway service;
- Launching the Carer Inclusive Workplace Initiative with funding of $2 million to ensure carers are better supported to participate in the workforce
- Providing over $18 million to change the participation limit for Carer Payment, removing travel, education or volunteering time from the calculation of the participation limit, along with changes to Temporary Cessation of Care days, so carers who want to work, study or volunteer can more easily and flexibly do so; and
- Providing $10 million to double support for young carers to continue their education through the Young Carer Bursary program.
By funding the ABS to develop new estimates on the labour contribution of unpaid care, starting with this consultation and information collection exercise, the Albanese Government is continuing to support the unsung heroes of our nation.
The consultation period opens today and will run until 28 February 2025.
