LABOUR FORCE COMMENTARY FEBRUARY 2014
NATIONAL ESTIMATES
Australia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by less than 0.1 percentage points in February 2014, but remained at 6.0% when calculated using unrounded estimates. In trend terms the unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 6.0% in February 2014. The number of unemployed persons increased by 9,800 to 742,200 in February 2014 (seasonally adjusted), while in trend terms the number of unemployed persons in February 2014 increased by 7,200 to 733,700.
February 2014 saw the seasonally adjusted participation rate increase by 0.2 percentage points to 64.8%, following a revision to the January 2014 estimate. The trend participation rate remained steady at 64.7% in February 2014.
The seasonally adjusted number of employed persons increased by 47,300 in February 2014 to 11,530,800 persons. In trend terms, employment increased by 8,500 persons to 11,502,200 persons in February 2014. The employment to population ratio, which expresses the number of employed persons as a percentage of the civilian population aged 15 years and over, increased by 0.2 percentage points to 60.9% (seasonally adjusted). The trend employment to population ratio remained steady at 60.8%.
Employment to population ratio, Persons, September 2012 to February 2014
Seasonally adjusted full-time employment increased in February 2014, up 80,500 persons to 8,049,900 persons, while part-time employment decreased by 33,300 persons to 3,480,900 persons. The increase in total employment resulted from:
- an increase in male full-time employment, up 33,700 persons
- an increase in female full-time employment, up 46,800 persons
- an increase in male part-time employment, up 17,200 persons
- a decrease in female part-time employment, down 50,500 persons.
Seasonally adjusted aggregate hours worked decreased by 14.0 million hours (0.9%) in February 2014 to 1,608.9 million hours.
STATE ESTIMATES
The largest increases in seasonally adjusted employment were in Queensland (up 30,700 persons) and in New South Wales (up 13,900 persons). The largest decrease in seasonally adjusted employment was in Victoria, down 5,300 persons. Seasonally adjusted estimates are not published for the territories.
Unemployment rate, State and Territories, January 2014 and February 2014 |
|
 | Trend | Seasonally Adjusted |
| January | February | January | February |
| % | % | % | % |
|
| New South Wales | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 |
| Victoria | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 |
| Queensland | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.2 |
| South Australia | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.7 |
| Western Australia | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.9 |
| Tasmania | 7.5 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 7.3 |
| Northern Territory | 3.9 | 3.7 | np | np |
| Australian Capital Territory | 3.6 | 3.4 | np | np |
| Australia | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
|
| np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated |
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