ABSTRACT
Although the land size of Australia is approximately the same as that of the continental United States, its population of only 19.5 million in 2001 is less than 10 percent that of the USA. During the 1996-2001 period population growth rates have averaged 1.3 percent per annum (ABS, 2001). A little over half the population is employed (9.3 million in 2002), with a workforce participation rate of 63.6 percent and an unemployment rate of 6.3 percent (ABS, 2002a). In common with other western nations, the population is aging, with a median age of 35.4 years (ABS, 2002b).
