Analysis of Population and Workforce Planning: Australia, China

This assignment provides a detailed analysis of population and workforce planning, comparing Australia and China. It examines the percentage distribution of the female population, calculates the mean and median ages of females in both countries, and discusses the presence of a demographic dividend in China. The analysis further explores differences in labor participation rates across various age groups, highlighting factors such as economic development, social security, and the status of women. The assignment also includes a comparison of population pyramids for both countries, illustrating the differences in age distributions and their implications for workforce dynamics. The study underscores the impact of economic and social factors on population trends and labor patterns, offering insights into the distinct demographic profiles of Australia and China.

Population & Workforce Planning
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Population & Workforce Planning
Question 1
(a)The percentage distribution of female population in both the given countries in 2011 is as
indicated below.
In order to compute the above, the respective populations in the particular age group was
divided was the total female population of the same country and expressed in the form of
percentage.
b) The respective computation for mean age of female population in Australia is as indicated
below.
The above table has been obtained taking the assumed mean as 32 which is highlighted.
Hence, mean age of females in Australia = 32 + (71906000/11360000) =38.3 years
The respective computation for mean age of female population in China is as indicated
below.

Population & Workforce Planning
The above table has been obtained taking the assumed mean as 32 which is highlighted.
Hence, mean age of females in China = 32 + (2509200000/647934000) =35.9 years
c) The median computation for female age in Australia is indicated below.

Population & Workforce Planning
The median female age in China is computed as indicated below.
d) The presence of demographic dividend is apparent for China since there is a larger female
count in percentage terms in the age 15-49 years as compared to Australia. Further, the
ageing of population in Australia is evident from the percentage breakup of the females who
are above 60 years in age. This is significantly higher for Australia in comparison to China.
This may be attributed to the difference in economic development, status of women and
health services availability. As a result of this, the infant mortality continues to be higher
coupled with lower age expectancy in comparison with Australia. The status of women in
China is comparatively lower and also there is preference for son which accounts for
disparity in infant representation of females.
e) There is stark difference in the labour patterns of the two countries. In the age group 15-19,
the labour participation rate is significantly higher for Australia in comparison to China
which may be attributed to easy availability of jobs (both part time and full time). On the
other hand, in China, the emphasis is on studies and also there is not much availability of jobs
for females in the age group. Another stark difference is with regards to 65+ age group where
the labour participation rate is significantly higher for China. This may be explained on the
existence of a very efficient social security system in Australia due to which after retirement,
the pension income is sufficient to meet the needs. However, this is not the case in China.

Population & Workforce Planning
During the 25-49 age group, it is apparent that there is a greater labour participation rate for
females which may on account of the booming manufacturing industry in China where cheap
labour is required in abundance and hence females are preferred. Also, the wages of the male
counterpart may not be sufficient to meet the household expenses and incremental earning
may be required which accounts for some portion of the higher participation rates in China.
f) The requisite table is indicated below.
g) With regards to the percentage distribution of females, it is apparent that from 0-15 years
age group, Australia has more representation while the trend reverses from 19-49 years when
China has higher representation. However, for the older age group, clearly Australia has more
percentage representation in female. Thus, the population pyramid capturing only females for
Australia would be wide at the bottom and slightly narrow on the top. In contrast for China,
the corresponding pyramid representing females would be narrow at the top, become wider in
the middle and then narrow again at the bottom. Similar trends in labour participation have
also been witnessed across the two countries. The only exception is in the old age i.e. 60+
where the Chinese women have higher labour participation as compared to Australia.