Residents Working out of the Blue Mountains
What are we monitoring?
The proportion of the working population that has its main workplace address outside the Blue Mountains Local Government Area.
This data is being collected from 2001 onwards.
| 2001 (No.) | 2001(%) | 2006 (No.) | 2006 (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment location within the Blue Mountains | 13 819 | 45 | 14 013 | 39.8 |
| Employment location outside the Blue Mountains | 16 946 | 55 | 18 406 | 52.3 |
| Employment location unknown | 0 | 0 | 2 754 | 7.8 |
What is the trend?
A trend cannot be easily established from these numbers. A comparison of the numbers between 2001 and 2006 suggests a higher number of residents are working within the Blue Mountains along with a corresponding increase in the number of residents working outside the Blue Mountains. The difference between the number of residents working within and outside the Blue Mountains has increased between 2001 and 2006.
Why is monitoring this trend important?
According to the ABS Census Data 2001 more than half the Blue Mountains workforce (55%) commuted to work each day. There are significant impacts associated with commuting, including increased traffic congestion, air and noise pollution, as well as reduced time and energy to spend with family and build relationships in the local community. Watching this trend will increase our understanding about the impacts of commuting on our social and environmental assets, particularly when looked at in the context of other trends - for example an increase in local employment.
A decrease in this trend has the potential to indicate our progress towards Working and Learning, Looking after People, Looking after Environment and Moving Around - all Key Directions in the City Vision.
Source
This data is collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics during the Australian Census of Population and Housing every five years. Although information about workplace address has been collected for several censuses, there has been inconsistencies in the data collection and management. These inconsistencies make the validity of comparisons between years questionable.