Quick answer: Clothing Trades Workers are less stress-exposed than most Australian occupations — ranked #228 of 317 by workplace mental health hazard exposure, with a composite stress score of 44/100 against a national average of 47.4. The biggest drivers are pace and demands and precision and monotony.
Clothing Trades Workers stress profile vs the national average
Each occupation is scored across six categories of workplace mental health hazard, built from 22 stress factors identified in SafeWork Australia's occupational hazards data. Higher scores mean greater exposure.
- Emotional demands21.5 vs 37.9 avg
- Responsibility burden60.4 vs 60 avg
- Pace and demands66.2 vs 56 avg
- Lack of control21.2 vs 24.5 avg
- Precision and monotony71.2 vs 67.7 avg
- Physical environment23.2 vs 38.2 avg
Scores range 0–100; higher = more stress-inducing. Source: SafeWork Australia Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset.
What drives the score for clothing trades workers
Compared with the average Australian occupation, clothing trades workers score furthest above the norm on pace and demands (66.2 vs 56 average), precision and monotony (71.2 vs 67.7 average) and responsibility burden (60.4 vs 60 average). The single biggest individual stress factor is time pressure at 88.2/100 — against an all-occupation average of 71.6.
The occupation scores below the national average for emotional demands (21.5 vs 37.9), physical environment (23.2 vs 38.2) and lack of control (21.2 vs 24.5), which moderates the overall ranking.
See how this compares across all 317 Australian occupations, ranked by stress score.
The biggest stress factors for clothing trades workers
- 1Pace and demands
Time Pressure
88.2/100
All-occupation average: 71.6
- 2Precision and monotony
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
88.2/100
All-occupation average: 78.6
- 3Responsibility burden
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
78.5/100
All-occupation average: 70.4
- 4Pace and demands
Frequency of Decision Making
70.8/100
All-occupation average: 70.7
- 5Pace and demands
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
67.8/100
All-occupation average: 23.1
All 22 stress factors for clothing trades workers
The complete scorecard: every stress factor measured for this occupation, grouped into the six categories, with the all-occupation average alongside.
Emotional demands
21.5 vs 37.9 avg- Deal With Physically Aggressive People4 vs 14
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People35.5 vs 50.4
- Frequency of Conflict Situations25 vs 49.3
Responsibility burden
60.4 vs 60 avg- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results63.2 vs 58.5
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety54 vs 57.3
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results78.5 vs 70.4
- Consequence of Error50.2 vs 49
- Coordinate or Lead Others56 vs 64.9
Pace and demands
66.2 vs 56 avg- Time Pressure88.2 vs 71.6
- Duration of Typical Work Week61 vs 62.1
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment67.8 vs 23.1
- Frequency of Decision Making70.8 vs 70.7
- Level of Competition43.5 vs 52.4
Lack of control
21.2 vs 24.5 avg- Lack of Autonomy to Make Decisions15 vs 23.6
- Amount of Highly Structured Work27.5 vs 25.3
Precision and monotony
71.2 vs 67.7 avg- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks54.2 vs 56.9
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate88.2 vs 78.6
Physical environment
23.2 vs 38.2 avg- Sounds and Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable33 vs 52.3
- Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting4 vs 24.9
- Very Hot or Cold Temperatures13 vs 32.4
- Exposed to Disease or Infections1.5 vs 20.2
- Physical Proximity64.5 vs 61.1
Understand these hazards
The elevated stress categories for clothing trades workers map to recognised psychosocial work factors under ISO 45003 and Australian WHS legislation. Learn what each one is and how it can be controlled:
- Work Demands →The volume, pace, and complexity of what is asked of workers.
- Role Clarity →Whether workers clearly understand what is expected of them.
- Leadership →The quality and consistency of management behaviour at all levels.
- Schedule and Hours →The arrangement of working time and its effect on health and recovery.
- Learning and Stimulation →Whether work offers enough challenge, variety, and opportunity for growth.
- Work Monitoring →How worker performance is measured, observed, and reported.
Methodology
Clearhead scored 317 occupations in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) using SafeWork Australia's Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset. We kept only the 22 hazard variables relating to mental health — such as conflict exposure, decision-making pressure, and time pressure — and deliberately excluded physical safety risks like working at height.
The 22 variables are grouped into six categories: emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control, precision and monotony, and physical environment. An occupation's composite score is the equally weighted average of its six category scores. All scores run 0–100, where higher means more stress-inducing.
Two control-related variables are reported by SafeWork with inverted polarity (“freedom to make decisions” and “structured versus unstructured work”). We reverse these and present them as lack of autonomy to make decisions and amount of highly structured work, so that a higher score consistently indicates greater stress exposure.
Hazard exposure describes the average conditions of an occupation, not any individual's experience — everyone has a different tolerance for these challenges, and conditions vary between workplaces.
Frequently asked questions
Clothing Trades Workers: how stressful is the job?
Clothing Trades Workers rank #228 out of 317 Australian occupations for workplace mental health hazards, with a composite stress score of 44/100 against a national average of 47.4. That makes the occupation more stress-exposed than 28.1% of Australian jobs.
What are the biggest mental health stress factors for clothing trades workers?
The highest-scoring hazards are time pressure (88.2/100), importance of being exact or accurate (88.2/100) and impact of decisions on co-workers or company results (78.5/100). Overall, the occupation scores above the national average in responsibility burden, pace and demands and precision and monotony.
Which stress factors are lower for clothing trades workers?
Clothing Trades Workers score below the national average for emotional demands (21.5 vs 37.9 average) and lack of control (21.2 vs 24.5 average) and physical environment (23.2 vs 38.2 average), which partially offsets the higher-scoring hazards.
Where does this data come from?
Scores are derived from SafeWork Australia's Beta Occupational Hazards Dataset. Clearhead filtered the dataset to the 22 mental-health-related hazard variables — excluding physical safety risks — and scored 317 ANZSCO occupations across six categories: emotional demands, responsibility burden, pace and demands, lack of control, precision and monotony, and physical environment.
Beyond the average
This is the average hazard exposure for clothing trades workers. Your workforce isn't average.
Clearhead's Psychosocial Risk Pulse measures the actual psychosocial risk in your organisation, quarterly — across 18 ISO 45003-aligned work factors.