6202.0 - Labour Force, Australia, May 2014 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 12/06/2014   
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MEDIA RELEASE
Embargo: 11.30 am (Canberra time)
12 June 2014
72/2014
Australia's unemployment rate remained steady at 5.8 per cent in May 2014
Australia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained steady at 5.8 per cent in May 2014, as announced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.

The seasonally adjusted labour force participation rate decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 64.6 per cent in May 2014.

The ABS reported the number of people employed decreased by 4,800 to 11,564,600 in May 2014 (seasonally adjusted). The decrease in total employment was due to decreased male and female part-time employment. Part-time employment decreased by 27,000 people to 3,496,200 and full-time employment increased by 22,200 people to 8,068,300.

The ABS monthly seasonally adjusted aggregate hours worked series increased in May 2014, up 26.5 million hours (1.7%) to 1,604.5 million hours.

The seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed increased by 3,200 to 717,100 in May 2014, the ABS reported.

The seasonally adjusted underemployment rate was 7.6 per cent in May 2014. Combined with the unemployment rate of 5.8 per cent, the latest seasonally adjusted estimate of total labour force underutilisation was 13.5 per cent in May 2014, the same as February 2014.

More details are in the May 2014 issue of Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0), as well as the upcoming May 2014 issue of Labour Force, Australia, Detailed (cat. no. 6291.0.55.001) due for release next week on June 19. These publications are available for free download (after release) from the ABS website - www.abs.gov.au.


Media note:
When reporting ABS data, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or ABS) must be attributed as the source.

Media request and interviews - contact the ABS Communications Section on 1300 175 070.