LABOUR FORCE


CONTENTS

Employed persons

Unemployment

Participation rate


EMPLOYED PERSONS

In trend terms, the total number of persons employed in South Australia rose 1.2% (9,500 persons) between August 2009 and February 2010. However, in recent months, this growth has reached a plateau with 801,700 persons employed in April 2010. The total number of persons employed in Australia in April 2010 was 11,016,500, an increase of 2.2% on the number employed in April 2009 (10,776,000).

The number of males employed full-time in South Australia in April 2010 was 355,900 (in trend terms); a 0.3% increase from the previous month (355,000). Looking at the composition of all male employees, those working full-time accounted for 81.6% of the male workforce, down from 83.7% in April 2009. The number of females employed full-time increased slightly to be 184,500 in April 2010. Despite increasing for the last six months, the estimate remains slightly (0.5%) below the peak recorded in May 2009 (185,400). At that time full-time female employees accounted for 49.8% of the female workforce. In April 2010, this proportion was 50.5%.


UNEMPLOYMENT

After falling from 5.6% to 5.0% between September 2009 and February 2010, the unemployment rate for South Australia (in trend terms) has risen to be 5.2% in April 2010. Australian unemployment remained steady at 5.3% in April 2010. South Australia's unemployment rate has been lower than the national rate since May 2009.

Since recording a low of 4.8% in February 2010, the trend unemployment rate for males in South Australia has been on the rise, climbing to 5.0% in April 2010. This remains lower than the female unemployment rate for the fifth consecutive month. The trend unemployment rate for South Australian females has been increasing over the last six months and was 5.5% in April 2010.

Nationally the trend unemployment rates for males and females in April 2010 remained steady at 5.3%.

PARTICIPATION RATE

The trend estimate of the participation rate for South Australia has shown little movement over the last nine months and was 63.1% in April 2010. Australia's trend participation rate has held steady at 65.2% over the same period.

In South Australia, the participation rate for males has held steady at 70.0% in April 2010. The Australian participation rate for males has shown little change over the last seven months and was 72.2% in April 2010. From a peak of 57.9% in April and May 2009, the participation rate for South Australian females fell to be 56.6% at the beginning of 2010, and has remained steady at this level over the ensuing four months. The Australian female participation rate fell slightly to be 58.3% in April 2010.