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REVISED POPULATION REBENCHMARKS

The latest available Estimated Resident Population data has been incorporated into revised population benchmarks which underpin the compilation of the Labour Force series. Labour Force series from April 2014 to January 2016 have been revised in original terms, with related revisions to seasonally adjusted and trend data. Revised series (including data up to the January 2016 reference month but prior to the inclusion of the February 2016 data), were released on 10 March 2016 in the January 2016 issue of Labour Force, Australia - Rebenchmarked Estimates (cat. no. 6202.0.55.003). The inclusion of the February 2016 data in this issue will result in further revisions to the seasonally adjusted and trend data as a result of the usual concurrent seasonal adjustment process.


CORRECTION FACTORS FOR EFFECTS OF SUPPLEMENTARY SURVEY PROGRAM ON SEASONALLY ADJUSTED AND TREND ESTIMATES

The Participation, Job Search and Mobility supplementary survey was conducted for the second time in February 2016. As a result, the time series correction factors that were initially introduced with October 2014 data to remove the effect of this and other supplementary surveys on seasonally adjusted and trend estimates have been re-estimated. This is part of an ongoing process that ensures they reflect the most up to date original data (as subsequent data become available), to ensure a high level of time series coherence in Labour Force data.


ANNUAL SEASONAL REANALYSIS

As advised in previous issues of this publication, the ABS will publish results of the annual seasonal reanalysis of Labour Force series with the March 2016 issue. This will revise seasonally adjusted and trend estimates for key Labour Force series to the commencement of the series in February 1978. While seasonal factors for the complete time series are estimated every month, they are reviewed annually at a more detailed level than is possible in the monthly processing cycle to ensure that the estimates are of the highest quality.

In response to the independent technical review into the Labour Force Survey in late 2014, the ABS introduced time series correction factors to account for the changed supplementary survey program. Relevant prior corrections over the entire series were introduced with the 2015 annual seasonal reanalysis, and these will also be reviewed as part of the 2016 process. The March 2016 issue will include information on the impact of the annual seasonal reanalysis on seasonally adjusted and trend estimates.