Underemployed Workers
CONTACT
Assistant Director
Labour Force Section
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Telephone (02) 6252 6504
Facsimile (02) 6252 7784
DESCRIPTION
This survey provides information on people who involuntarily worked less than full-time hours. These people are known as 'involuntary part-time workers' and comprise part-time workers who would prefer to work more hours and full-time workers who did not work full-time hours for economic reasons, such as insufficient work. Information presented about involuntary part-time workers includes current job, employment preferences, the extent and duration of underemployment, and whether looking for work and/or available to start work with more hours. Estimates can be cross-classified by standard demographic characteristics such as age, sex, marital status, relationship in family and birthplace.
Data from this survey are used to monitor labour force capacity and to develop labour market policies and programs which aim to assist underemployed people, including those with family responsibilities, gain sufficient work.
SCOPE
Persons in scope of the Labour Force Survey who worked less than 35 hours in the reference week and would have preferred more hours. Excludes persons in non-private dwellings. Since 1997, excludes persons living in some remote and sparsely settled parts of Australia.
DISSEMINATION
Publication
Underemployed Workers, Australia (cat. no. 6265.0).
Data Service
Customised unpublished data are available in a variety of formats.
Data Details
Data are available at person level only.
Standard demographic, family and labour force information as for the Labour Force Survey.
Steps taken to find extra work
Whether would move interstate or intrastate if offered a suitable job
Whether would prefer to change occupation to work more hours
Whether would prefer to change employer to work more hours
Whether registered with Centrelink
Main difficulty in finding work (includes lacked necessary skills/education)
Usual number of hours worked
Number of extra hours preferred
Preferred total number of hours
Other selected topics
Educational attainment
GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE
Australia, States,Territories and Labour Force Statistical Regions within each State.
FREQUENCY OF COLLECTION
Annual. Latest survey 1999.
METHOD OF COLLECTION
Monthly Population Survey.
HISTORICAL DATA
Conducted in May 1985, 1988 and 1991, then annually in September since 1994. Comparisons among the surveys are possible.
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