6202.0 - Labour Force, Australia, Jun 2017 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 20/07/2017   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

LABOUR FORCE COMMENTARY JUNE 2017


NATIONAL ESTIMATES

TREND ESTIMATES

Australia's trend estimate of employment increased by 26,400 persons in June 2017, with:

  • the number of unemployed persons decreasing by 3,700 persons;
  • the unemployment rate decreasing by less than 0.1 percentage points to 5.6 per cent;
  • the participation rate remaining steady at 64.9 per cent; and
  • the employment to population ratio increasing by 0.1 percentage points to 61.3 per cent.

Over the past year, trend employment increased by 227,100 persons (or 1.9 per cent), which matches the average year-on-year growth over the past 20 years. Over the same twelve month period the trend employment to population ratio, which is a measure of how employed the population (aged 15 years and over) is, increased by 0.2 percentage points to 61.3 per cent.

In monthly terms, the trend employment increased by 26,400 persons between May 2017 and June 2017. This represents an increase of 0.22 per cent, which is above the monthly average growth rate over the past 20 years of 0.16 per cent.

Trend full-time employment increased by 30,000 persons in June, while part-time employment decreased by 3,600 persons. Compared to a year ago, there were 169,600 more persons employed full-time and 57,600 more persons employed part time. Over the past six months, the part-time share of employment declined from the historical high of 32.0 per cent to 31.6 per cent.

The trend estimate of monthly hours worked in all jobs increased by 6.2 million hours (or 0.4 per cent) in June 2017, to 1,691.5 million hours. Monthly hours worked in all jobs increased by 2.4 per cent over the past year.

The trend unemployment rate decreased by less than 0.1 percentage points to 5.6 per cent in June 2017. The trend number of unemployed persons decreased by 3,700 persons between May 2017 and June 2017.

The labour force includes the total number of employed and unemployed persons. Over the past year, the labour force increased by 231,700 persons (1.8 per cent). This rate of increase is above the rate of increase for the total Civilian Population aged 15 years and over (322,000 persons, or 1.6 per cent).

The trend participation rate increased by less than 0.1 percentage points to remain at 64.9 per cent in June 2017.

The trend participation rate for 15-64 year olds, which controls (in part) for the effects of an ageing population, increased by 0.1 percentage points to 77.3 per cent in June 2017.

The trend participation rate for 15-24 year olds decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 66.5 per cent in June 2017. Since June 2016, it decreased 0.8 percentage points, from 67.3 per cent. The unemployment rate for this group increased by less than 0.1 percentage points to 13.0 per cent in June 2017 and increased by 0.2 percentage points over the year.

The trend series smooths the more volatile seasonally adjusted estimates and provide the best measure of the underlying behaviour of the labour market.


SEASONALLY ADJUSTED ESTIMATES

Seasonally adjusted employment increased by 14,000 persons from May to June 2017. The underlying composition of the net increase was an additional 62,000 persons in full-time employment and a 48,000 decrease in part-time employment. Since June 2016, full-time employment increased by 175,400 persons, while part-time employment increased by 64,800 persons.

Seasonally adjusted monthly hours worked in all jobs increased by 8.9 million hours in June 2017 to 1,703.5 million hours. Over the past year, the seasonally adjusted number of monthly hours worked in all jobs increased by 53.9 million hours, with an increase across both full-time (44.0 million hours) and part-time workers (9.8 million hours).

The seasonally adjusted employment to population ratio remained steady at 61.3 per cent in June 2017, representing an increase of 0.2 percentage points from the same time last year.

Graph 1, Employment to population ratio, Persons, June 2007 to June 2017
Graph: Graph 1, Employment to population ratio, Persons, June 2007 to June 2017


The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by less than 0.1 percentage points and remained at 5.6 per cent in June 2017. The labour force participation rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 65.0 per cent.


STATE AND TERRITORY ESTIMATES

TREND ESTIMATES

In June 2017, increases in trend employment were observed in all states and territories except for the Northern Territory (down 1,300). The largest increases were in New South Wales (up 11,600 persons) and Victoria (up 7,300 persons).

Increases in employment were also observed in all states and territories over the past twelve months, with the largest increase in Victoria (up 101,400 persons), followed by Queensland (up 43,300 persons) and New South Wales (up 37,300 persons).

The unemployment rate decreased in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory recorded increased unemployment rates.

The trend participation rate decreased in the Northern Territory (down 0.9 percentage points). There were increases in the remaining states and territory.


SEASONALLY ADJUSTED ESTIMATES

In seasonally adjusted terms, the largest increase in employment was in Western Australia (up 6,900 persons), followed by South Australia (up 4,600 persons), and Victoria (up 3,700 persons).

The largest decrease in the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was in Tasmania (down 0.5 percentage points), followed by South Australia (down 0.2 percentage points). Queensland recorded the largest increase in the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (up 0.4 percentage points), followed by Western Australia (up 0.1 percentage points).

The largest increase in the seasonally adjusted participation rate occurred in Western Australia (up 0.4 percentage points), followed by South Australia (up 0.2 percentage points). The only state with a seasonally adjusted participation rate decrease was Victoria (down 0.1 percentage points).

Seasonally adjusted estimates are not published for the two territories.

Table 1, Unemployment rate, States and Territories

Trend
Seasonally Adjusted
May
June
May
June
%
%
%
%

New South Wales
4.8
4.8
4.8
4.8
Victoria
6.0
6.0
6.0
5.9
Queensland
6.4
6.3
6.1
6.5
South Australia
6.9
7.0
6.9
6.6
Western Australia
5.7
5.6
5.5
5.6
Tasmania
5.8
5.8
6.1
5.6
Northern Territory
3.2
3.1
np
np
Australian Capital Territory
4.2
4.4
np
np
Australia
5.7
5.6
5.6
5.6

np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated