6202.0 - Labour Force, Australia, Apr 2005

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 12/05/2005

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Main Features
About this Release

APRIL KEY FIGURES

		Mar 2005	Apr 2005	Mar 05 to Apr 05		Apr 04 to Apr 05

Trend
	Employed persons ('000)	9,934.7	9,958.8	24.2		3.4	%
	Unemployed persons ('000)	535.4	537.7	2.4		-6.7	%
	Unemployment rate (%)	5.1	5.1	0.0	pts	-0.5	pts
	Participation rate (%)	64.4	64.5	0.1	pts	0.9	pts
Seasonally Adjusted
	Employed persons ('000)	9,954.9	9,961.9	6.9		3.0	%
	Unemployed persons ('000)	539.3	540.9	1.6		-6.3	%
	Unemployment rate (%)	5.1	5.1	0.0	pts	-0.5	pts
	Participation rate (%)	64.5	64.5	0.0	pts	0.7	pts

Employed Persons
Graph: Employed Persons

Unemployment rate
Graph: Unemployment rate

APRIL KEY POINTS

TREND ESTIMATES (MONTHLY CHANGE)

EMPLOYMENT increased to 9,958,800
UNEMPLOYMENT increased to 537,700
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE remained at 5.1%
PARTICIPATION RATE increased to 64.5%

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED ESTIMATES (MONTHLY CHANGE)

EMPLOYMENT

increased by 6,900 to 9,961,900. Full-time employment increased by 39,100 to 7,129,600 while part-time employment decreased by 32,200 to 2,832,300.

UNEMPLOYMENT

increased by 1,600 to 540,900. The number of persons looking for full-time work increased by 7,700 to 387,600 while the number of persons looking for part-time work decreased by 6,100 to 153,300.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

remained at 5.1%. Both the male and female unemployment rates were unchanged, at 4.9% and 5.5% respectively.

PARTICIPATION RATE

remained at 64.5%.

NOTES

ROUNDING

Estimates of monthly change shown on the front cover have been calculated using unrounded estimates, and may be different from, but are more accurate than, movements obtained from the rounded estimates. The graphs on the front cover also depict unrounded estimates.

SAMPLING ERRORS

The estimates in this publication are based on a sample survey. Because the entire population is not enumerated, the published estimates and the movements derived from them are subject to sampling variability. Standard errors give a measure of this variability and appear on pages 27 and 28.

The 95% confidence intervals below provide another way of looking at the variability inherent in estimates from sample surveys. The interval bounded by the two limits is the 95% confidence interval. A 95% confidence interval has a 95% chance of including the true value of the estimate.

Movements in seasonally adjusted series between March and April 2005

	Monthly change	95% Confidence interval


Total Employment	6,900	-30,500	to	44,300
Total Unemployment	1,600	-12,000	to	15,200
Unemployment rate	0.0 pts	-0.2 pts	to	0.2 pts
Participation rate	0.0 pts	-0.2 pts	to	0.2 pts

INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Michael Johnson on Canberra (02) 6252 6525.

PRINCIPAL LABOUR FORCE SERIES TREND ESTIMATES

EMPLOYED PERSONS

The trend estimate of employed persons generally rose from 8,223,600 in April 1995 to 9,055,600 in September 2000. The trend then fell slightly to 9,035,500 in January 2001, before rising to 9,458,700 in March 2003. The trend then fell for three months before rising to stand at 9,958,800 in April 2005.

UNEMPLOYED PERSONS

The trend estimate of unemployed persons generally rose from 739,800 in April 1995 to 771,800 in February 1997. The trend then fell to 583,200 in September 2000, before rising to 685,000 in October 2001. The trend has since generally fallen to stand at 537,700 in April 2005.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

The trend unemployment rate was relatively steady from April 1995 to February 1997. After falling to 6.1% in September 2000, the trend rose to 7.0% in October 2001. The trend has since generally fallen to stand at 5.1% in April 2005.

STATES TREND ESTIMATES

EMPLOYED PERSONS

NEW SOUTH WALES

The trend estimate of employment in New South Wales rose slowly from 2,741,900 in April 1995 to 2,801,500 in July 1997. Apart from small decreases in late 2000 and early 2003, the trend has since increased steadily, to stand at 3,240,000 in April 2005.

VICTORIA

The trend estimate of employment in Victoria generally rose from April 1995 to mid 1997, before growing at a faster rate to reach 2,360,300 in February 2003. After falling to 2,346,300 in June 2003, the trend has risen to stand at 2,474,000 in April 2005.

QUEENSLAND

The trend estimate of employment in Queensland has generally been rising since April 1995, when it stood at 1,504,600. Apart from a small decrease in late 2000, the trend has been steadily increasing and stands at 1,984,900 in April 2005.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The trend estimate of employment in South Australia, although fluctuating, remained relatively steady from April 1995 until February 1999, when it stood at 657,700. The trend estimate has since generally risen to stand at 738,200 in April 2005.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The trend estimate of employment in Western Australia generally rose from 833,600 in April 1995 to 986,800 in August 2004. Recently, the trend has increased at a greater rate to stand at 1,031,500 in April 2005.

TASMANIA

The trend estimate of employment in Tasmania, although fluctuating, remained relatively steady from April 1995 until March 2002, when it stood at 197,900. Since then the trend has risen to stand at 218,400 in April 2005.