6202.0 - Labour Force, Australia, Mar 2017 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 13/04/2017   
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MEDIA RELEASE
13 April 2017
Embargo: 11:30 am (Canberra Time)
45/2017
Trend employment growth strengthens in March

Trend employment increased by 16,500 to 12,033,400 persons in March 2017, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today. Total employment growth over the year was 1.0 per cent, just over half the average growth rate of the past 20 years (1.8 per cent).

“We have seen strengthening in full-time growth over recent months, following falls in full-time employment recorded through much of 2016” said the Acting General Manager of ABS' Macroeconomic Statistics Division, Jacqui Jones.

The trend monthly hours worked decreased by 0.4 million hours (0.02 per cent), with decreases in total hours worked by both full-time and part-time workers.

The trend unemployment rate in Australia increased by less than 0.1 percentage points, to 5.9 per cent in March 2017. The trend participation rate also increased slightly, to 64.7 per cent.

Trend series smooth the more volatile seasonally adjusted estimates and provide the best measure of the underlying behaviour of the labour market.

The seasonally adjusted number of persons employed increased by 60,900 in March 2017. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained steady at 5.9 per cent, and the seasonally adjusted labour force participation rate increased 0.2 percentage point to 64.8 per cent.

More details are in the March 2017 issue of Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0). In addition, further information, including regional labour market information, can be found in the upcoming March 2017 issue of Labour Force, Australia, Detailed - Electronic Delivery (cat. no. 6291.0.55.001), due for release on 20 April 2017.

These publications are available for free download (after release) from the ABS website: https://www.abs.gov.au.

Media note:
  • When reporting ABS data, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or ABS) must be attributed as the source.
  • For media requests and interviews, contact the ABS Communications Section on 1300 175 070 (8.30am - 5pm Mon-Fri).
  • The ABS produces trend estimates to provide a more reliable indicator of the underlying behaviour of the Labour Force series. Trend estimates were introduced into the Labour Force series in the mid 1980s and are available back to February 1978. Trend estimates are considered the best indicators of the underlying behaviour in the labour market. See paragraphs 28 to 37 of the Explanatory Notes in Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0).
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