FACTBase Bulletin 25 - Perth’s Human Capital Base

This Bulletin offers preliminary insights into human capital in Perth and, in particular, the ways in which this resource is spatially organised.

Key Findings

• From 2001 to 2006, many of the same statistical areas were the dame for highest Human Capital Index (HCI) scores.
• Improvements in HCI scores occurred in Joondalup – South (+7 points), Nedlands (+7 points), Stirling (+6 points), and Serpentine-Jarrahdale (+5 points), and a decline in HCI scores for Cottesloe (-16 points), Perth-Remainder (-14 points), Mundaring (-7 points), Victoria Park (-6 points), and Vincent (-5 points).
• HCI scores have a positive relationship with home ownership, where it can be assumed that there is a link between strong human capital and a reduced dependency on public housing.
• There is a negative correlation HCI and the unemployment rate, as better educated people are more likely to secure work, and if they are economically active, they are less likely to be unemployed (OECD, 2001).
• In Perth, there is spatial variation in the HCI results, where statistical areas south of central Perth have a concentration of the low-ranking HCI scores.