The first part is a quantitative analysis of the industry, including of its structure, business performance, employment characteristics and wage trends. The industry is highly competitive, with low barriers to entry and relatively low average profit margins. The majority of workers in the industry are reliant on an award and hourly wage rates are low compared with those in other industries.

The second part reports the findings from focus group discussions with employers, current employees and employees who had recently left the industry. The research explores the factors affecting recent business performance, the experiences of employers and employees, and some effects of changes in minimum wages on those in the industry. Topics such as the challenge of workforce retention and the flexibility of employment were highlighted in the discussions.