Insights into hours worked, March 2023

Released

13/04/2023

Source

Labour Force, Australia, March 2023

As Labour Force hours worked data are returning to normal patterns, the ABS is planning to cease publishing insights into hours worked after the April 2023 publication, to be released on 18 May 2023. The data cubes EM2a and EM2b will continue to be published with the release of headline estimates until the end of the winter months in 2023 (exact timing to be confirmed) to enable more detailed analysis of changes in hours worked and the reasons that people are working reduced or no hours.

Key findings

Hours worked decreased by 3.2 million hours (-0.2 per cent) in seasonally adjusted terms between February and March 2023 (following a 3.8 per cent increase between January 2023 and February 2023), and employment increased by 53,000 people (0.4 per cent) over the same period.

Chart 1 shows a small decrease in hours worked in March and a steady increase in employment. Both the hours worked and employment series have exceeded their pre-pandemic levels, with hours increasing 8.4 per cent and employment increasing 7.0 per cent since March 2020. The steady growth in employment and even stronger growth in hours worked shows the consistent tightness in the labour market.

Chart 1: Hours worked and employment index, Seasonally adjusted (March 2020 = 100.0)
	Hours (March 2020 Index)	Employed (March 2020 Index)
Jan-20	100.5	100.0
Feb-20	100.4	100.1
Mar-20	100.0	100.0
Apr-20	90.0	95.5
May-20	90.8	93.3
Jun-20	94.4	95.2
Jul-20	95.5	95.9
Aug-20	95.8	97.1
Sep-20	95.7	96.9
Oct-20	97.7	98.1
Nov-20	99.2	98.7
Dec-20	99.1	99.1
Jan-21	94.8	99.3
Feb-21	100.0	99.9
Mar-21	102.1	100.3
Apr-21	100.9	100.2
May-21	102.5	100.9
Jun-21	101.0	101.2
Jul-21	101.0	101.2
Aug-21	96.9	100.2
Sep-21	98.0	99.2
Oct-21	97.9	98.9
Nov-21	102.2	101.8
Dec-21	103.3	102.4
Jan-22	95.4	102.7
Feb-22	103.3	103.5
Mar-22	102.7	103.6
Apr-22	104.3	103.9
May-22	104.9	104.4
Jun-22	105.2	105.1
Jul-22	105.0	104.9
Aug-22	105.8	105.3
Sep-22	105.8	105.5
Oct-22	108.3	105.8
Nov-22	107.9	106.2
Dec-22	106.9	106.1
Jan-23	104.6	106.1
Feb-23	108.6	106.6
Mar-23	108.4	107.0

Chart 1: Hours worked and employment index, Seasonally adjusted (March 2020 = 100.0)

["","Hours","Employed"]

[["Jan-20","Feb-20","Mar-20","Apr-20","May-20","Jun-20","Jul-20","Aug-20","Sep-20","Oct-20","Nov-20","Dec-20","Jan-21","Feb-21","Mar-21","Apr-21","May-21","Jun-21","Jul-21","Aug-21","Sep-21","Oct-21","Nov-21","Dec-21","Jan-22","Feb-22","Mar-22","Apr-22","May-22","Jun-22","Jul-22","Aug-22","Sep-22","Oct-22","Nov-22","Dec-22","Jan-23","Feb-23","Mar-23"],[[100.5],[100.40000000000001],[100],[90],[90.799999999999997],[94.400000000000006],[95.5],[95.799999999999997],[95.700000000000003],[97.700000000000003],[99.200000000000003],[99.099999999999994],[94.799999999999997],[100],[102.09999999999999],[100.90000000000001],[102.5],[101],[101],[96.900000000000006],[98],[97.900000000000006],[102.2],[103.3],[95.400000000000006],[103.3],[102.7],[104.3],[104.90000000000001],[105.2],[105],[105.8],[105.8],[108.3],[107.90000000000001],[106.90000000000001],[104.59999999999999],[108.59999999999999],[108.40000000000001]],[[100],[100.09999999999999],[100],[95.5],[93.299999999999997],[95.200000000000003],[95.900000000000006],[97.099999999999994],[96.900000000000006],[98.099999999999994],[98.700000000000003],[99.099999999999994],[99.299999999999997],[99.900000000000006],[100.3],[100.2],[100.90000000000001],[101.2],[101.2],[100.2],[99.200000000000003],[98.900000000000006],[101.8],[102.40000000000001],[102.7],[103.5],[103.59999999999999],[103.90000000000001],[104.40000000000001],[105.09999999999999],[104.90000000000001],[105.3],[105.5],[105.8],[106.2],[106.09999999999999],[106.09999999999999],[106.59999999999999],[107]]]

[]

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Source: Labour Force, Australia Tables 1 and 19

People working fewer hours than usual due to all reasons

Chart 2 shows the proportion of employed people working fewer hours than usual for all reasons increased between February and March 2023. This is in line with the usual March seasonal pattern, and the overall pattern is returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Chart 2: Proportion of employed people working fewer hours for all reasons, Original
	Proportion of people who worked fewer hours for all reasons (%)
Mar-17	21.4
Apr-17	40.6
May-17	22.4
Jun-17	30.2
Jul-17	27.1
Aug-17	21.9
Sep-17	21.4
Oct-17	32.9
Nov-17	23.4
Dec-17	20.3
Jan-18	56.5
Feb-18	20.3
Mar-18	26.3
Apr-18	42.2
May-18	22.6
Jun-18	30.6
Jul-18	25.8
Aug-18	21.3
Sep-18	21.2
Oct-18	33.8
Nov-18	23.7
Dec-18	20.2
Jan-19	33.4
Feb-19	19.9
Mar-19	25.4
Apr-19	23.7
May-19	23.2
Jun-19	31.1
Jul-19	26.7
Aug-19	22.8
Sep-19	21.5
Oct-19	34.0
Nov-19	24.2
Dec-19	20.2
Jan-20	36.3
Feb-20	21.8
Mar-20	27.4
Apr-20	44.8
May-20	32.9
Jun-20	34.3
Jul-20	29.8
Aug-20	26.6
Sep-20	24.7
Oct-20	33.2
Nov-20	25.5
Dec-20	21.1
Jan-21	43.2
Feb-21	22.0
Mar-21	24.0
Apr-21	42.7
May-21	23.5
Jun-21	25.7
Jul-21	29.2
Aug-21	28.2
Sep-21	26.7
Oct-21	36.2
Nov-21	26.0
Dec-21	20.7
Jan-22	56.9
Feb-22	22.9
Mar-22	25.7
Apr-22	37.1
May-22	25.9
Jun-22	25.3
Jul-22	28.5
Aug-22	23.6
Sep-22	24.1
Oct-22	31.2
Nov-22	24.9
Dec-22	20.8
Jan-23	55.6
Feb-23	20.9
Mar-23	22.8

Chart 2: Proportion of employed people working fewer hours for all reasons, Original

["","Proportion of people who worked fewer hours for all reasons"]

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[]

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Source: Labour Force, Australia Data Cube EM2a and Table 1

People working fewer hours than usual due to annual leave, holidays, flextime or long service leave

Chart 3 shows the proportion of employed people working fewer hours due to annual leave, holidays, flextime or long service leave increased slightly between February and March. Public holiday effects in some States during early March contributed to this seasonal pattern. The proportion of people taking leave in March has returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Chart 3: Proportion of employed people who worked fewer hours due to annual leave, holidays, flextime or long service leave, Original
	Proportion of people who worked fewer hours due to annual leave (%)
Mar-17	7.0
Apr-17	27.4
May-17	8.2
Jun-17	15.3
Jul-17	13.1
Aug-17	6.4
Sep-17	6.3
Oct-17	18.0
Nov-17	9.5
Dec-17	6.4
Jan-18	44.6
Feb-18	6.1
Mar-18	11.8
Apr-18	27.3
May-18	8.1
Jun-18	15.6
Jul-18	11.7
Aug-18	6.2
Sep-18	6.5
Oct-18	19.0
Nov-18	9.6
Dec-18	6.4
Jan-19	20.4
Feb-19	5.9
Mar-19	11.1
Apr-19	9.3
May-19	8.2
Jun-19	14.9
Jul-19	11.3
Aug-19	7.0
Sep-19	6.4
Oct-19	19.4
Nov-19	9.2
Dec-19	5.9
Jan-20	22.2
Feb-20	6.0
Mar-20	10.2
Apr-20	14.4
May-20	4.9
Jun-20	11.1
Jul-20	9.1
Aug-20	5.1
Sep-20	4.6
Oct-20	14.3
Nov-20	8.1
Dec-20	5.4
Jan-21	29.2
Feb-21	5.2
Mar-21	9.0
Apr-21	26.5
May-21	7.4
Jun-21	7.0
Jul-21	10.2
Aug-21	4.0
Sep-21	4.1
Oct-21	15.3
Nov-21	9.3
Dec-21	5.1
Jan-22	39.3
Feb-22	5.8
Mar-22	6.2
Apr-22	19.6
May-22	7.2
Jun-22	7.6
Jul-22	11.5
Aug-22	6.2
Sep-22	8.5
Oct-22	14.4
Nov-22	9.6
Dec-22	6.1
Jan-23	42.8
Feb-23	6.6
Mar-23	8.2

Chart 3: Proportion of employed people who worked fewer hours due to annual leave, holidays, flextime or long service leave, Original

["","Proportion of people who worked fewer hours due to annual leave"]

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Source: Labour Force, Australia Data Cube EM2a and Table 1

APA

Citation

Insights into hours worked, March 2023

APA

Citation

Key findings

People working fewer hours than usual due to all reasons

People working fewer hours than usual due to annual leave, holidays, flextime or long service leave

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