Let's Tell the ABS to Count Us In: 489,000-Strong and Growing

Census night is 11 August 2026. Here's our AFC guide to the census for the fashion industry so we are all counted correctly.

by Dhilini Nagahawatta

5 August 2026

Census night is Tuesday 11 August 2026. Here's exactly what to write.

TCF is one of the most undercounted industries in Australia's official statistics: not because the workforce is small, but because generic Census answers (machinist, factory worker, designer) get coded into broad catch-all categories instead of TCF-specific ones. That undercount impacts our industry’s workforce planning and training investment until the next Census in 2031.

Why it matters

Vague job answers get miscoded making the TCF industry look smaller than it actually is
That undercount means less funding for training, apprenticeships and industry support until the next Census in 2031
The fix takes 30 seconds: get 4 questions right, and you're counted correctly

Want to help spread the word? We've put together a full campaign kit, an eDM snippet, social tiles and a printable flyer for your kitchen, break room or noticeboard. Pin it up, post it, forward it on. The more people who see it, the better our count.

DOWNLOAD THE EMPLOYER KIT - COUNT US IN

The 4 questions that matter
Q42 Occupation: Your exact job title e.g. "Sewing Machinist," not "Factory worker
Q43 Duties: What you actually do day to day
Q45 Industry of Employer: What the business does, not the company name
Q46 Goods/services produced: What the employer makes, in 2+ words

Q42: Be specific about your occupation

Instead of this vague answer…	Write this specific answer
Factory worker	Sewing Machinist – apparel manufacturing, shoemaker
Manager	Production Manager – apparel manufacturing, supervising cutting and sewing teams
Designer	Textile Designer (fabric/print) or Fashion Designer (garment ranges) — be specific about which
Pattern maker	Clothing Patternmaker (write this full title even though it currently codes under Garment Technician)
Sustainability / CSR	Sustainability Manager – textile and apparel supply chain
Clothing company	Fashion design, Clothing wholesaling, Clothing retailing, or Clothing manufacturing — whichever matches what the business does
Fashion industry	Fashion design — "fashion industry" isn't a real classification category; "Fashion design" is

Q43: Main duties/tasks

List your real day-to-day tasks, not just your title
Be specific, e.g. "operating industrial sewing machines to join garment panels and finish seams," not "sews things"
This helps the ABS tell TCF work apart from similar-sounding roles in other industries

Q45: Industry of Employer

Use 2+ specific words: never a vague single word like "clothing" or "fashion"
If your brand designs and sells clothes but doesn't manufacture them → write "Fashion Design"
If your brand also physically makes the clothes → write “Clothing Manufacturing” if that is your specific business unit, otherwise write “Fashion Design”.
Two people at the same brand can correctly give different answers: a head-office designer might write "Fashion Design," while a machinist at that brand's own small manufacturing facility might correctly write "Clothing Manufacturing." What matters is what that specific business unit does, not what the brand is known for.

Q46: Goods/Services Employer provides

Use 2+ specific words: never a vague single word like "clothing" or "fashion"
If your brand designs and sells clothes but doesn't manufacture them → write "Designing fashion garments"
If your brand also physically makes the clothes → write specifically what the final product is, for example “Manufacturing Women’s Clothing”

Role-by-role cheat sheet

These are illustrative starting points. The goal is specificity, not exact wording.

Role	Q42 Occupation (current OSCA title)	Q43 Main duties/tasks	Q45 Industry of employer	Q46 Goods/services employer provides
Fashion designer	Fashion Designer	Designing garment ranges, developing seasonal collections, sourcing fabrics and trims	Fashion Design	Designing fashion garments
Production Manager	Production Manager – clothing	Managing garment production schedules; supervising cutting, sewing and finishing teams; coordinating with suppliers	Fashion Design or Clothing manufacturing	Manufacturing apparel
Garment Tech	Garment Technician	Fitting garments, resolving construction and quality issues, adjusting patterns and grading sizes, working between design and production teams	Fashion design (design-led business) or Clothing wholesaling (if selling mainly to retail stockists)	Developing and manufacturing apparel ranges
Machinist	Sewing Machinist	Operating industrial sewing/overlocking machines to join garment panels and finish seams; quality-checking stitching	Clothing manufacturing	Manufacturing women's clothing (or the specific product, e.g. school uniforms, activewear)
Pattern Maker	Clothing Patternmaker*	Interpreting design sketches and specifications to create and grade master patterns; using pattern-making software to build size ranges	Fashion Design (design-led business) or Clothing Manufacturing if working within a production unit	Designing fashion garments / manufacturing apparel
Pattern/ Fabric cutter	Apparel Cutter	Marking and cutting fabric layers from patterns for garment assembly	Clothing Manufacturing	Manufacturing apparel / cut-and-sew garments
Textile Designer	Textile Designer	Designing fabric prints, weaves and textures for garment or textile ranges	Fashion design (or Textile design, if more accurate)	Designing printed and woven textiles
Sustainability Professional	No dedicated TCF occupation yet — use fullest accurate title (e.g. Sustainability Manager) plus detailed duties	Developing sustainable sourcing and manufacturing practices; auditing supplier compliance with environmental standards; coordinating circularity and recycling initiatives	Fashion design (design-led business) or Clothing wholesaling (if selling mainly to retail stockists) — see decision guide above	Manufacturing sustainable apparel / providing supply chain sustainability advisory services

*Why "Clothing Patternmaker"? It no longer exists as its own OSCA occupation, it now sits under "Garment Technician." Write it anyway: it's the truest title, and it builds the case to reinstate it as its own occupation in the next OSCA update (expected March 2027).

Census night: Tuesday 11 August 2026. Count us in.

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