The determinants of Indigenous employment outcomes: The importance of education and training

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey provided a unique opportunity to re-examine the underlying determinants of Indigenous employment. The recent Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research/Australian Bureau Statistics publication Employment Outcomes for Indigenous People emphasises the importance of education and training in securing better employment outcomes for Indigenous Australians. Regression analysis is used to highlight the large potential gains to Indigenous employment that can accrue through improved access to education. This paper argues that labour force statistics which compare Indigenous and non-Indigenous outcomes should be adjusted, using a simple technique, to account for the large differences in educational attainment in the respective population