TY - JOUR
T1 - The importance of understanding Indigenous employment in the Indigenous business sector
AU - Eva, Christian
AU - Bodle, Kerry
AU - Foley, Dennis
AU - Harris, Jessica
AU - Hunter, Boyd
N1 - Funding Information:
This paper is the first in a series of studies undertaken by the research team as part of a larger research project into Indigenous-owned businesses and Indigenous employment. The research project “Making Indigenous Friendly Businesses” is supported by funding from the NIAA and maintains stakeholder support from Supply Nation and Indigenous Business, Australia. The research was undertaken within the Centre for Social Research and Methods at the Australian National University. Open access publishing facilitated by Australian National University, as part of the Wiley - Australian National University agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.
Funding Information:
This paper is the first in a series of studies undertaken by the research team as part of a larger research project into Indigenous‐owned businesses and Indigenous employment. The research project “Making Indigenous Friendly Businesses” is supported by funding from the NIAA and maintains stakeholder support from Supply Nation and Indigenous Business, Australia. The research was undertaken within the Centre for Social Research and Methods at the Australian National University. Open access publishing facilitated by Australian National University, as part of the Wiley ‐ Australian National University agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Australian Journal of Social Issues published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Social Policy Association.
PY - 2023/9
Y1 - 2023/9
N2 - Indigenous employment has been the subject of numerous policies in Australia, with governments aiming to increase the workforce participation rate amongst Indigenous people in recent years. Indigenous-owned businesses, formally defined as businesses that are at least 50% Indigenous-owned, have been demonstrated in previous research to maintain substantially higher levels of proportional Indigenous employment than non-Indigenous businesses. This suggests that Indigenous-owned businesses maintain work environments that are more supportive of and conducive to Indigenous employment, meriting the influence of Indigenous-owned businesses' workplace practices in future Indigenous employment policy design. Using administrative data from two Indigenous business registries (Black Business Finder and Supply Nation), this paper provides an updated empirical analysis of the Indigenous business sector. This paper demonstrates that Indigenous-owned businesses of all sizes, industries, locations and profit statuses consistently average proportional Indigenous employment rates higher than the Indigenous proportional population. Of all the people employed in Supply Nation-listed businesses, over 35% are Indigenous. The potential impact of the Indigenous Procurement Policy is illustrated by differentials in the size of businesses and their capacity to employ Indigenous staff. This paper provides analysis of the Indigenous business sector that can inform future policy direction for both Indigenous employment and Indigenous business policies.
AB - Indigenous employment has been the subject of numerous policies in Australia, with governments aiming to increase the workforce participation rate amongst Indigenous people in recent years. Indigenous-owned businesses, formally defined as businesses that are at least 50% Indigenous-owned, have been demonstrated in previous research to maintain substantially higher levels of proportional Indigenous employment than non-Indigenous businesses. This suggests that Indigenous-owned businesses maintain work environments that are more supportive of and conducive to Indigenous employment, meriting the influence of Indigenous-owned businesses' workplace practices in future Indigenous employment policy design. Using administrative data from two Indigenous business registries (Black Business Finder and Supply Nation), this paper provides an updated empirical analysis of the Indigenous business sector. This paper demonstrates that Indigenous-owned businesses of all sizes, industries, locations and profit statuses consistently average proportional Indigenous employment rates higher than the Indigenous proportional population. Of all the people employed in Supply Nation-listed businesses, over 35% are Indigenous. The potential impact of the Indigenous Procurement Policy is illustrated by differentials in the size of businesses and their capacity to employ Indigenous staff. This paper provides analysis of the Indigenous business sector that can inform future policy direction for both Indigenous employment and Indigenous business policies.
KW - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
KW - Australian Labour Market
KW - Indigenous Business
KW - Indigenous Employment
KW - Indigenous Entrepreneurship
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85161449455&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ajs4.271
DO - 10.1002/ajs4.271
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85161449455
SN - 0157-6321
VL - 58
SP - 494
EP - 522
JO - Australian Journal of Social Issues
JF - Australian Journal of Social Issues
IS - 3
ER -