6291.0.55.001 - Labour Force, Australia, Detailed - Electronic Delivery, Jan 2015 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 19/02/2015   
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WHAT'S NEW IN THE LABOUR FORCE


QUARTERLY REBENCHMARKING

Regular quarterly rebenchmarking of the Labour Force series to the population estimates used in compiling the Labour Force series will commence with the February 2015 issue of Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0). This will result in the original Labour Force series being revised once each quarter for the previous 25 months as population estimates are progressively updated to reflect the latest available preliminary and final estimates of Estimated Resident Population. This process will ensure that the Labour Force series promptly reflect any change in population trends and will minimise the size of revisions that can occur when the series are rebenchmarked following each Census of Population and Housing. It is expected that, on most occasions, the quarterly revisions will not be significant. As quarterly rebenchmarking will commence with the February 2015 issue, the series will be revised for a longer time period than will occur with future regular rebenchmarking. In the February 2015 issue original Labour Force series will be revised from July 2011 (43 months). For further information about rebenchmarking, refer to the "Rebenchmarking of Labour Force series" article published in the November 2012 issue of Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0).


ANALYSIS OF GROSS FLOWS

From the January 2015 issue of Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0), commentary will include an analysis of the gross flows data presented in Table 17. Gross flows data can provide an indication, in original terms, of the underlying movements in the labour market. However, the analysis is limited by:

  • only being available in original terms, and
  • being based on only about 80% of the sample.

Feedback on the usefulness of the analysis can be provided by emailing labourforce@abs.gov.au.


REGULAR UPDATE OF SEASONAL ADJUSTMENT PROCESS

Parameters used in the seasonal adjustment process to account for the following variables:
  • the placement of public holidays;
  • the placement of school holidays; and
  • the starting date for data collection in January.

have been updated in this issue.

The parameters are reviewed at this time each year to ensure that the correct timing of the holidays and starting date for collection are reflected in seasonally adjusted and trend data. These parameters are updated separately to the annual seasonal reanalysis because of their importance for January data, however they will also be considered as part of the broader annual seasonal reanalysis of each series. The update has not resulted in significant revisions to the seasonally adjusted and trend series.