WHAT'S NEW IN THE LABOUR FORCE
CHANGES TO LABOUR FORCE OUTPUTS
This note is essential for all clients using the Labour Force spreadsheets and data cubes.
Commencing with the July 2015 issues of this publication and the detailed monthly publication (cat. no. 6291.0.55.001), and the August 2015 issue of the detailed quarterly publication (cat. no. 6291.0.55.003), the ABS plans to publish Labour Force spreadsheets and data cubes in new formats. Any change to this plan will be announced on Friday 31 July at the latest.
These spreadsheets and data cubes will be published in the formats presented in the Information Paper: Forthcoming Changes to Labour Force Statistics, October 2014 (cat. no. 6292.0). Attached to the Information Paper is a version of the new format spreadsheets containing data for this publication. This version contains data as at the April 2015 issue of this publication. These spreadsheets can be used to test any processes accessing these datasets. Spreadsheets for the detailed monthly publication (cat. no. 6291.0.55.001) containing data as per the April 2015 issue will be added to the Information paper on 14 July. A concordance between the current and new time series identifiers will also be included.
While the format of the outputs will change, this will not introduce any revisions to the original estimates when rounded to the nearest person, other than the spreadsheet tables containing underutilisation data (tables 22 and 23). While testing these tables it was discovered that a small group of seasonal workers were incorrectly counted as underemployed, and therefore also as underutilised. The ending of a seasonal worker's contract (e.g. fruit picker) because the relevant season has concluded is not considered an economic reason and therefore should not be included as underemployed. The revision will impact the quarters since the introduction of the July 2014 questionnaire with underemployment for this period to be revised down by between 1,100 and 5,500 persons in original terms.
In addition to the format changes, the following series are planned to be introduced:
- Monthly underutilisation (original series only until 2017) from the August 2015 issue of this publication.
- The following new items from the August 2015 issue of the detailed quarterly publication (cat. no. 6291.0.55.003):
- Volume measures of labour underutilisation
- Leave entitlements
- Retrenchment
- Sector of main job (public / private).
- The following new items from the November 2015 issue of the detailed quarterly publication (cat. no. 6291.0.55.003):
- Educational attainment
- Educational attendance for the whole civilian population.
A brief article will be released for each of the new quarterly items to assist clients in interpreting the data. A brief article will also be released describing changes to the Status in Employment standard which are planned to take effect from the July 2015 issue.
The new outputs result from a review conducted in 2010-11 of the labour household survey program. The outcomes of the review were announced in 2012 but implementation has been delayed while priority was given to investigations into recent Labour Force results, the annual seasonal reanalysis and comprehensive testing of the system producing the new outputs.
Users of this pdf should take extra care until experienced with the new format. For details of changes to tables in the pdf refer to the information paper.
ANNUAL BENCHMARKING OF AGGREGATE MONTHLY HOURS WORKED
Each year the aggregate monthly hours worked series is benchmarked to an annual hours worked level. This will occur with the July 2015 issue of this publication, which will likely result in minor revisions to the aggregate monthly hours worked series. For details on the methodology, refer to the
Information Paper: Expansion of Hours Worked Estimates from the Labour Force Survey, Australia, 2009 (ABS cat. no. 6290.0.55.001).
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