WHAT WILL BE THE BENEFITS OF COMBINING DATA OVER TIME?
In its existing form the Census provides a ‘snapshot’ about Australian people and households once every five years. The creation of the Statistical Longitudinal Census Dataset (SLCD), by combining Census data for a 5% sample of the population, would provide the means to identify patterns of change in social and economic circumstances, for individuals and households, over time. Examples of studies that could be undertaken are: pathways undertaken by migrants in their early years of settlement, particularly in employment; links between employment outcomes and education qualifications; transitions to higher education and work for young people from low income households; and the extent of income and employment mobility. While the real value of the SLCD would not become apparent for some years, as data from the 2006 Census are brought together with data from 2011, 2016 and so on, the ABS sees this as an important investment in our future to create a significant national statistical asset.
