4102.0 - Australian Social Trends, 1999  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/06/1999   
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Contents >> Work >> National summary tables

National summary tables


LABOUR FORCE
Units
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
Total labour force '000
7,867
8,083
8,346
r8,491
8,518
8,574
8,696
r8,886
9,066
r9,173
9,261
Females - (of total labour force) %
40.3
40.8
41.4
41.7
41.9
41.9
42.3
42.7
r43.0
43.1
43.2
Participation rate %
62.2
62.6
63.5
63.6
63.0
62.6
62.8
63.3
63.7
63.5
63.1
Male participation rate %
75.3
75.2
75.5
75.3
74.4
73.9
73.6
73.8
r73.8
73.4
73.0
Female participation rate %
49.4
50.4
51.9
52.3
51.9
51.7
52.2
53.2
53.8
53.9
53.6
Females in the labour force with children aged 0-4 (of all females with children aged 0-4) %
43.0
44.0
46.3
44.5
46.6
45.3
46.1
49.3
47.4
47.7
48.2
Standardised participation rate %
62.3
62.7
63.6
63.7
63.1
62.8
63.0
63.6
64.0
63.9
63.7
Participation rate of persons aged 15-19 years %
59.6
59.9
60.9
58.6
55.7
55.1
55.8
58.8
59.2
59.0
57.7
Participation rate of persons aged 20-24 years %
83.6
83.7
83.9
84.0
82.6
82.1
82.1
82.8
83.0
82.5
82.0
Median age of male labour force years
35.5
35.6
35.8
36.1
36.3
36.5
36.7
36.9
37.1
37.2
37.5
Median age of female labour force years
33.0
33.4
33.7
34.2
34.6
34.9
35.1
35.3
35.7
36.1
36.2
Reference periods: All data are annual averages for the year ending 30 June except labour force participation of females with children (June).

EMPLOYED PEOPLE
Units
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
Total employed
'000
7,256
7,549
7,832
7,782
7,637
7,634
7,781
8,093
r8,301
r8,381
8,496
Employment/population ratio
ratio
57.4
58.5
59.6
58.3
56.5
55.8
56.2
57.7
58.3
58.0
57.9
Part-time work
Part-time workers (of total employed)
%
19.8
20.1
20.9
21.7
22.9
23.5
23.8
24.4
24.6
r25.2
25.6
Male part-time workers (of total male employed)
%
7.1
7.2
8.0
8.5
9.7
10.2
10.4
10.9
11.0
11.7
12.0
Female part-time workers (of total female employed)
%
38.7
38.9
39.5
40.2
41.1
41.7
42.0
42.5
42.5
42.9
43.3
Female part-time workers (of total part-time employed)
%
78.3
78.6
77.6
77.2
75.6
75.1
75.0
74.5
74.6
73.7
73.4
Average hours worked per week by part-time workers
hours
15.2
15.3
15.2
15.3
15.4
15.4
15.5
15.7
15.6
15.8
16.0
Part-time workers who prefer more hours (of all part-time employed)
%
18.7
17.6
18.0
21.7
26.4
29.2
28.3
26.1
26.1
26.2
25.8
Part-time workers who worked 15 hours or less per week (of all part-time employed)
%
54.3
53.6
54.1
53.9
53.3
53.4
52.8
51.8
52.1
51.1
50.8
Average hours worked per week by full-time workers
hours
39.7
39.7
39.9
r40.0
40.6
r40.4
40.7
r41.0
r40.6
r41.1
41.3
Full-time workers working more than 49 hours per week (of all full-time employed)
%
19.7
20.1
20.4
20.7
22.1
22.4
23.7
24.3
23.7
24.4
24.9
Average weekly hours of paid overtime per employee
hours
1.4
1.5
1.3
1.1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.2
1.1
1.1
1.0
Casually employed (of total employed)
%
18.9
20.0
19.4
20.3
22.3
22.7
23.7
24.0
26.1
25.7
26.9
Job mobile in previous year
%
r18.1
19.7
r18.3
r14.8
r12.8
n.a
r14.5
n.a
r15.8
n.a
14.3
Employers and own account workers (of total employed)
%
14.9
14.6
14.2
14.6
15.0
15.2
15.2
14.6
14.6
13.9
14.3
Industry
Employed in service industries (of total employed)
%
67.7
67.7
68.7
69.5
70.9
70.6
70.9
71.4
r72.2
r72.4
72.6
Employed in manufacturing industries (of total employed)
%
16.0
15.9
15.3
14.7
14.2
14.2
14.0
13.8
13.4
13.5
13.2
Sector
Private sector employees(of all employees)
%
72.0
73.0
73.3
72.5
72.6
73.5
75.1
76.0
77.0
78.4
78.8
Employed in small business (of all private sector employed)
%
n.a
n.a
n.a
n.a
50.5
51.2
52.7
51.3
50.7
50.2
50.8
Occupation
Employed in highest skill (ASCO Skill Level 1) occupations(a)
%
23.3
22.9
23.7
24.4
24.9
25.1
24.9
24.4
24.2
25.2
25.2
Employed in lowest skill (ASCO Skill Level 5) occupations(a)
%
19.0
19.4
19.3
18.9
19.1
19.1
19.3
19.7
20.4
20.3
20.1
Females - of all employed in highest skill (ASCO Skill Level 1) occupations(a)
%
35.5
35.6
37.0
37.8
38.4
39.1
38.0
39.2
41.2
41.9
41.0
(a) ASCO second edition was introduced in August 1996. Data prior to this date are concorded with ASCO second edition at the major group level.

Reference periods: All data are annual averages for the year ending 30 June except: average weekly hours of paid overtime (year ending 31 December); Casual employment and job mobility (February); and private sector employment (June).

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
Units
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
Trade union membership
%
41.6
n.a.
40.5
n.a.
39.6
37.6
35.0
32.7
31.1
30.3
28.1
Median age of trade union members
years
35
n.a.
36
n.a.
37
37
37
38
38
38
39
Working days lost due to industrial disputes (per 1,000 employees)
days
269
190
207
248
147
100
76
79
131
74
72
Reference periods: All data are annual averages for the year ending 30 June except: working days lost due to industrial disputes (year ending 31 December); occupation and trade union membership (August).

UNEMPLOYMENT
Units
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
Total unemployed
'000
610.5
534.6
513.7
709.0
r881.6
940.5
r915.4
r793.7
r764.3
r792.4
764.2
Long-term unemployed
%
27.7
27.2
22.7
21.1
29.0
35.8
36.6
34.4
29.5
29.2
31.6
Unemployment rate
%
7.8
6.6
6.2
8.4
10.4
11.0
10.5
8.9
r8.4
r8.6
8.3
Male unemployment rate
%
7.3
6.2
5.8
8.4
10.8
11.7
10.9
9.1
8.8
8.8
8.5
Female unemployment rate
%
8.4
7.3
6.7
8.2
9.7
10.0
10.0
8.7
8.0
8.4
8.0
Full-time job seekers:
Persons aged 15-19 years (of all persons aged 15-19)
%
7.9
6.3
5.8
7.7
9.1
9.0
8.6
7.4
7.2
7.0
6.5
Persons aged 20-24 years (of all persons aged 20-24)
%
8.2
6.7
6.3
9.1
11.4
11.8
10.9
8.8
8.6
9.0
8.7
Median duration of unemployment - males
weeks
24
23
18
19
29
34
35
31
26
25
28
Median duration of unemployment - females
weeks
14
12
11
14
21
25
24
21
18
18
20
Unemployment rate- capital cities
%
7.1
5.9
5.6
8.1
10.2
10.8
10.3
8.8
8.2
8.2
7.6
Unemployment rate - balance of States and Territories
%
8.8
7.8
7.1
8.7
10.6
11.2
11.0
9.2
8.9
9.4
9.4
Reference periods: All data are annual averages for the year ending 30 June.

NOT IN THE LABOUR FORCE
Units
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
Marginally attached
'000
721.7
708.4
752.5
819.3
846.4
907.8
773.3
862.8
879.6
890.5
922.6
Discouraged jobseekers
'000
83.8
76.1
100.9
138.2
145.6
147.4
106.5
111.9
118.9
118.4
110.9
Reference periods: Not in the labour force data are at September.

TRANSITION TO RETIREMENT
Units
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
Participation rate of males aged 55-59 years
%
75.1
74.0
75.0
75.2
72.9
72.5
72.6
73.6
73.0
73.2
72.5
Participation rate of females aged 55-59 years
%
31.5
32.4
32.3
35.7
35.7
36.4
38.0
38.7
41.3
42.3
42.3
Participation rate of males aged 60-64 years
%
47.4
49.1
49.9
50.7
50.2
48.5
49.1
47.7
46.6
45.4
45.8
Participation rate of females aged 60-64 years
%
12.9
14.9
15.1
15.9
14.9
14.4
15.8
16.0
17.5
18.3
19.1
Persons retired from full-time work (of all persons aged 50-64 years)
%
n.a
46.4
n.a
n.a
46.4
n.a
46.1
n.a
n.a
45.0
n.a.
Reference periods: All data are annual averages for the year ending 30 June except retirement data (October/November).




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