What social enterprise brings to Australia has been little known - until now.
Why is this a big deal?
Firstly, it makes visible the value of the people and organisations that make up the social enterprise sector. They should be recognised, celebrated and learned from.
Secondly, it shows that — despite limited Federal Government recognition and support — the social enterprise sector makes a significant economic contribution to Australia. Off the back of this research, we call on the Federal Government to work with our sector on a national strategy to unlock the full potential of social enterprise.
The size and economic contribution of social enterprise in Australia
There are over 12,000 social enterprises in Australia.
They contribute $21.3 billion to the Australian economy each year and account for 1% of GDP.
They employ over 200,000 people; that's 1 in 60 jobs or 1.6% of the Australian workforce. This is about the same number of people as employed in arts and recreation services or the mining industry.