LABOUR FORCE


Job vacancies

Employed persons

Unemployment

Participation rate

Employed persons by industry


JOB VACANCIES

In original terms, Queensland's total number of job vacancies increased to 41,600 in May 2008 from 38,600 in February 2008. The May 2008 vacancies were 17% higher than in May 2007. Public sector vacancies accounted for around one in ten (7.7%) of total job vacancies in May 2008.

Further information on this topic can be accessed at Job Vacancies, Australia (cat. no. 6354.0). This is the final issue for 2008. The Survey of Job Vacancies will not be conducted during 2008-09. The survey will be reinstated for the November 2009 reference period.


EMPLOYED PERSONS

In December 2009, total employment in Queensland in trend terms rose slightly (0.2%) to 2,233,000 persons, the fifth monthly rise following five consecutive monthly decreases. Full-time employed persons (1,586,500) accounted for 71% of total employed persons. Males accounted for 64% of full-time employed persons and 54% of total employed persons.

UNEMPLOYMENT

The trend estimate of the number of unemployed persons in Queensland for December 2009 was 144,900 persons. This equates to an unemployment rate of 6.1%. In trend estimate terms, the Queensland unemployment rate has had sixteen consecutive monthly increases and for the last five months has been higher than the national unemployment rate.

In Queensland in December 2009 both the male and female unemployment rate was 6.1%. Since November 2008, female unemployment rates have been lower than or equal to male unemployment rates.

PARTICIPATION RATE

The trend estimate of the participation rate for Queensland in December 2009 was 67.5%. This rate is 2.7 percentage points higher than in December 1999. Queensland has recorded equal to or higher participation rates than the national average since September 1988.

For Queensland, the trend participation rate for females has been over 60% since June 2006 and recorded 61.6% in December 2009. This is a 5.0 percentage points increase over the female participation rate recorded in December 1999. The male participation rate in December 2009 was 73.5% which was 0.2 percentage points higher than the rate recorded for December 1999.

Further information on these topics can be accessed at Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0) or by contacting the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070. These publications are released monthly.



EMPLOYED PERSONS BY INDUSTRY

There were 2,217,500 employed persons in Queensland in November 2009. The five industries with the most number of employed persons were Retail trade (247,000), Construction (239,600), Health care and social assistance (231,700), Manufacturing (183,000) and Accommodation and food services (162,000). Those industries employing the least number of persons included Electricity, gas, water and waste services (27,600), Information, media and telecommunications (30,100), and Arts and recreation services (37,500).

The five industries with the most number of employed persons accounted for almost one half (48%) of Queensland's employed persons.

In the year November 2008 to November 2009, the greatest proportional increase of employed persons occurred in the Wholesale trade industry (26%). In the same period, Information media and telecommunications had the greatest proportional decrease in employed persons with a reduction of 17%.

Note: Employed persons by industry has been reported in original terms and cannot be directly compared with the trend estimates reported for Labour Force.

For more detailed information on this topic, please refer to Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, Quarterly (cat. no. 6291.0.55.003) or contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070. This publication is released quarterly.