Industry Analysis & Industry Trends
Child day-care operators have suffered some setbacks in the past five years. The recession caused unemployment to rise and household incomes to fall, which undermined demand for childcare services. This followed a period of strong growth, kicked off by the introduction of a government voucher scheme in 2005. Industry revenue fell by 4.0% in 2009-10 and 0.1% in 2011-12, as households tightened their budgets and in some cases substituted professional childcare services for home care, with more people out of work or on reduced hours.
Government policy has strongly affected the industry's fortunes. The voucher scheme has supported industry expansion and reduced revenue volatility... purchase to read more
Industry Report - Industry SWOT Analysis Chapter
With the exception of some quite severe shocks, the industry has exhibited robust growth for the best part of a decade. The seemingly simultaneous decision by the public and the government that childcare is an important economic and social indicator has resulted in an industry that is less vulnerable to the general fluctuations in employment and earnings. Even during a period where the wider economy contracted across six consecutive quarters, childcare providers only experienced a drop in 2009-10. This is also reflected in the 1.8% annualised growth in industry value added over the ten years through 2017-18 compared to 1.0% annualised GDP growth over the same period. This indicates that the industry's overall contribution to the economy is growing... purchase to read more