Social enterprises are building a more inclusive Australian economy

By Erin I. Castellas and Jo Barraket, Swinburne University of Technology

Social enterprises employ twice the rates of Australians with disability and female managers as mainstream small businesses. Our study of Victorian social enterprises also found 12% of jobs are held by previously long-term unemployed people (those who have been out of work for more than 12 consecutive months), and 2% by Indigenous Australians.

This shows that social enterprises are an important vehicle for the development of an inclusive economy — one that broadens economic participation, is more equitable, stable, and sustainable.

Social enterprises are organisations that aim to address social issues, such as homelessness or social exclusion, using strategies from business.