6222.0 - Job Search Experience, Australia, Jul 2003  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 03/02/2004   
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SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

OVERVIEW

In July 2003, there were 564,500 unemployed persons, a 2% increase since July 2002 but a 20% decrease since July 1996. The median duration of unemployment has dropped from 26 weeks in July 1998 to 16 weeks in July 2003 (the median is the number of weeks which divides the distribution of unemployed persons into two equal groups, one having their duration of unemployment above and the other below that number). In July 2003, over two-thirds (69%) of unemployed persons reported their level of highest educational attainment as being Year 12 or below and a further 9% as being a Bachelor Degree or above.

There were 1,602,800 employed persons who started their current job in the 12 months prior to July 2003. The majority (65%) of them were working full time. Of those employed persons who started their current job in the previous year, 54% reported their level of highest educational attainment as being Year 12 or below and 21% as being a Bachelor Degree or above.

UNEMPLOYED PERSONS

Job search experience

The most commonly reported steps taken to find work by unemployed persons in July 2003 were 'wrote, phoned or applied in person to an employer for work' and 'looked at advertisements for jobs in a newspaper' (both 84%). Other steps included 'answered an advertisement for a job in a newspaper' (66%), and 'registered with Centrelink as a jobseeker' (59%). Around 53% of unemployed persons stated they had 'registered with a Job Network employment agency'.

In July 2003, 13% of unemployed persons reported their main difficulty in finding work as being 'considered too young or too old by employers', followed by 'insufficient work experience' and 'too many applicants for available jobs' (both 12%). Almost 62% of those who reported they were 'considered too young or too old by employers' were aged 45 years and over. The median duration of unemployment for those who reported they were 'considered to be too young or too old by employers' was 29 weeks compared to 16 weeks for all unemployed persons.

Other characteristics of persons unemployed at July 2003 include:

  • 429,700 or 76% of unemployed persons had not started any job in the previous 12 months, while 50,400 (9%) had started two jobs or more
  • 85% did not receive any offers of employment during their current period of unemployment
  • 123,300 or 22% of unemployed persons spent the whole of the last year looking for work. Almost 26% of those looking for full-time work and 11% of those looking for part-time work spent the whole year looking for work
  • 59% had last held a job for two weeks or more, less than two years ago; while 16% had never worked in a job for two weeks or more.

Duration of unemployment

Just under one-quarter (22%) of unemployed persons in July 2003 were long-term unemployed, that is, they had been unemployed for 12 months or longer. Of the unemployed persons whose level of highest educational attainment was Year 12 or below, 14% had been unemployed for two years or more compared to 11% of those with a Certificate level or above.



Young unemployed

Over one-third (38%) of unemployed persons were aged 15-24 years. Just under half (46%) of unemployed persons aged 15-19 years and 78% of those aged 20-24 years were seeking full-time work.

Of unemployed persons aged 15-19 years, 19% reported their main difficulty in finding work was 'insufficient work experience'. Around 22% of unemployed persons aged 20-24 years also reported this as their main difficulty.

EMPLOYED PERSONS WHO STARTED THEIR CURRENT JOB IN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS

Of those employed persons who started their current job in the 12 months to July 2003, 44% were out of work prior to starting that job, and a further 44% changed employer to start that job. The remainder were employed in their own business.

Steps taken to attain a job

Of those who were out of work prior to starting their current job, 59% 'wrote, phoned or applied in person to an employer for work'. Almost half (48%) of employed persons who changed employer took this step to attain a job. The other most common steps taken to attain a job were 'looked at advertisements for jobs in a newspaper' (48% of persons out of work prior to starting a job and 37% of persons who changed employer to start a job), 'answered an advertisement for a job in a newspaper' (38% and 29% respectively) and 'contacted friends or relatives' (31% and 22% respectively).

Duration of looking for work

Over half (55%) of employed persons who started their current job in the previous 12 months looked for work for less than one year before being offered that job. A further 6% looked for one year or more, while 40% of persons didn't look for work at all. More than one-third (35%) of all employed persons who started their current job in the previous 12 months were aged 15-24 years.

Characteristics of current job

The majority (72%) of employed persons who started their current job in the previous 12 months started one job only, and most (90%) had worked before. Of those who usually work part-time hours, over one-third (40%) would prefer to work more hours.

Of those part-time employed persons who started their current job in the previous 12 months, 28% were aged 15-19 years.

The most common occupation groups of employed persons who started their current job in the previous 12 months were Intermediate clerical, sales and service workers (20%) and Professionals (15%). Elementary clerical, sales and service workers was the most common occupation group of employed persons aged 15-19 years who started their job in the previous 12 months (37%).