1307.6 - Tasmanian State and Regional Indicators, Dec 2010

Quality Declaration

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 11/02/2011 Final

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LABOUR

More detailed statistics about Tasmania are available in Excel format from the Downloads page.

Labour statistics measure aspects of the labour market, and are important economic and social indicators. They provide insight into the economy and effects of labour market policy settings, through measures of labour market demand (employment, job vacancies, labour costs) and labour market supply (unemployment, labour force participation). Labour statistics are also very much about people - their participation in the labour force, and their working hours.

LABOUR FORCE STATUS

The annual average number of people employed in Tasmania in 2009-10 was 234,500, or 1.6% less than the 238,300 employed in 2008-09. Of the total employed, 155,100 people worked full time (down from 162,800 in 2008-09) and 79,400 part time (an increase from 75,500 in 2008-09).

The average total labour force in 2009-10 in Tasmania was 248,400 persons, slightly below the 249,700 persons recorded in 2008-09.

The average number unemployed in 2009-10 was 13,900, an increase of 22.3% on the 11,400 unemployed in 2008-09. Of the total unemployed people, 10,100 or 72.4% were looking for full time employment. The average unemployment rate in 2009-10 in Tasmania was 5.6%, an increase from 4.6% in 2008-09, while the participation rate decreased to 60.9% from 61.9% in 2008-09.

OCCUPATION

In 2009-10 in Tasmania, an average of 42,900 employed people worked as Professionals. This was the largest occupational group, with 18.5% of the total employed, followed by Clerical and Administrative Workers with 34,700 persons or 14.9% of the total, and Technicians and Trade Workers with 33,800 employed, or 14.5% of the total employed.

The biggest annual employment increase in 2009-10 was for Community and Personal Service Workers, with an increase on the previous year of 7.0%, followed by Clerical and Administrative Workers (up by 1.8%). By contrast Technicians and Trades Workers was the occupation group recording the biggest fall (down by 11.5%), followed by Managers who recorded a decrease of 5.9%.

INDUSTRY

Health Care and Social Assistance was the main employing industry in Tasmania in 2009-10. On average this industry employed 28,600 persons or 12.3% of the total, followed by Retail Trade with 27,200 employed or 11.7% of the total employed and Public Administration and Safety with 20,700 or 8.9% of the total employed.

The Mining industry recorded the biggest increase from 2008-09 in the number of employed persons (52.2%), followed by Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services (33.3%) and Arts and Recreation Services (21.1%). Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services recorded the largest decrease in employed persons (down by 30.6%), followed by Wholesale Trade (down 26.9%) and Financial and Insurance Services with a 6.9% decrease on the previous year.

WAGE PRICE INDEX

The wage price index measures changes over time in the price of labour unaffected by changes in the quality or quantity of work performed.

In Tasmania in 2009-10 the price of labour in all sectors increased by 3.7% on 2008-09. In the private sector wages increased by 3.6% while the public sector recorded an increase of 4.0%.

AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS

Average weekly earnings statistics represent average gross (before tax) earnings of employees and do not relate to average award rates or to the earnings of the 'average person'. Estimates of average weekly earnings are derived by dividing estimates of weekly total earnings by estimates of the number of employees. Changes in the averages may be affected not only by changes in the level of earnings of employees but also by changes in the overall composition of the wage and salary earner segment of the labour force.

In May 2010, the average weekly ordinary time earnings (i.e. no overtime earnings) figure for full-time adults in Tasmania was $1,085.50, an increase of 7.0% on the May 2009 figure. In May 2010, the average weekly ordinary time earnings figure for full-time employed Tasmanian males was $1,120.70 and for females was $1,014.00.

AVERAGE WEEKLY ORDINARY TIME EARNINGS, Full-time adults: trend

GRAPH:AVERAGE WEEKLY ORDINARY TIME EARNINGS, Full-time adults: trend

UNEMPLOYMENT

In 2006, the highest rate of unemployment (10.3%) was in the George Town Local Government Area (LGA), followed by Kentish (9.6%) and Break O'Day (9.2%). The lowest rates of unemployment were in King Island (2.2%), Flinders (3.8%) and Circular Head (4.2%) respectively.

Around the Hobart area, the highest rate of unemployment was found in the Derwent Valley (9.0%) and the lowest was in Kingborough (4.5%).

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, by Local Government Area, August 2006

Map: UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, by Local government area, August 2006

More detailed statistics about Tasmania are available in Excel format from the Downloads page.

SOURCES

Australian Labour Market Statistics (ABS cat. no. 6105.0)

Average Weekly Earnings, Australia (ABS cat. no. 6302.0)

Employment Arrangements and Superannuation, Australia (ABS cat. no. 6361.0)

Forms of Employment, Australia (ABS cat. no. 6359.0)

Job Vacancies, Australia (ABS cat. no. 6354.0)

Labour Force, Australia (ABS cat. no. 6202.0)

Labour Force, Australia, Detailed - Electronic Delivery, Monthly (ABS cat. no. 6291.0.55.001)

Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, Quarterly (ABS cat. no. 6291.0.55.003)

Labour Mobility, Australia (ABS cat. no. 6209.0)

Labour Price Index, Australia (ABS cat. no. 6345.0)

Labour Statistics: Concepts, Sources and Methods (ABS cat. no. 6102.0.55.001)

Persons Not in the Labour Force, Australia (ABS cat. no. 6220.0)

Regional Wage and Salary Earner Statistics, Australia (ABS cat. no. 5673.0)

Tasmanian Key Indicators (ABS cat..no. 1304.6)

Underemployed Workers, Australia (ABS cat. no. 6265.0)

Further information can also be found on the Labour Statistics Theme Page of the ABS website.

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