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Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia

Latest release

Labour participation potential, underemployment and job attachment, job search experience, labour mobility, hours worked, industry and occupation.

Reference period

February 2024

Released

9/07/2024

Next release 29/07/2025

Key statistics

In February 2024:

1.9 million people were not working but wanted to work
Job mobility decreased to 8% for the first time in 3 years
The annual retrenchment rate was 1.7%, an increase from 1.4% in February 2023
Of the 14.5 million employed people in May 2024, 1.7 million were underemployed.

Topics

Statistics from the Participation, Job Search and Mobility (PJSM) survey are published in three topic-based releases.

Microdata and Tablebuilder

Microdata from the PJSM survey for 2015 to 2024 is available in TableBuilder and DataLab (as a supplementary file to the Longitudinal Labour Force). For more information, refer to Microdata and TableBuilder: Participation, Job Search and Mobility

A detailed data item list for the PJSM microdata is available in Microdata and TableBuilder: Participation, Job Search and Mobility

Data downloads

How to use tables

Download all (18.05 MB)

Potential workers

Data files

Table 1. Potential workers and discouraged job seekers
Download xlsx [474.3 KB]
Table 2. Characteristics of discouraged job seekers and other potential workers
Download xlsx [4.29 MB]
Table 3. Duration since last job and main activity of discouraged job seekers and other potential workers
Download xlsx [3.88 MB]
Table 4. Main reason for not actively looking for work of persons who wanted to work and were available
Download xlsx [530.5 KB]
Table 4a. Reasons did not actively look for work
Download xlsx [1.7 MB]
Table 5. Job search experience of unemployed persons
Download xlsx [1.04 MB]
Table 6. Characteristics of successful and unsuccessful job search experience
Download xlsx [1.21 MB]
Table 7. Number of job offers while looking for work
Download xlsx [2.76 MB]
Table 8. Main difficulty and duration of job search of unemployed persons
Download xlsx [2.94 MB]
Table 9. Main difficulty in finding work by age of unemployed persons
Download xlsx [2 MB]

Relative standard errors, Tables 1 to 9

Data files

Download zip [13.31 MB]

Download all (11.58 MB)

Job mobility

Data files

Table 1. Labour mobility, retrenchments and duration of employment
Download xlsx [556.2 KB]
Table 2. Retrenchments and other reasons for ceasing a job last year
Download xlsx [3.09 MB]
Table 3. Changes in employment characteristics of people employed last year
Download xlsx [975.36 KB]
Table 4. Separations and other changes in employment of people employed last year by industry
Download xlsx [2.73 MB]
Table 5. Engagements and other changes in employment of people employed last year by industry
Download xlsx [2.7 MB]
Table 6. Separations and other changes in employment of people employed last year by occupation
Download xlsx [1.8 MB]
Table 7. Engagements and other changes in employment of people employed last year by occupation
Download xlsx [1.74 MB]

Relative standard errors, Tables 1 to 7

Data files

Download zip [9.85 MB]

Download all (6.85 MB)

Underemployed workers

Data files

Table 1. Cyclical and structural underemployment of full-time and part-time workers
Download xlsx [1.38 MB]
Table 2. Extended measures of underutilisation
Download xlsx [214.91 KB]
Table 3. Underemployment status of full-time and part-time workers
Download xlsx [220.85 KB]
Table 4. Part-time workers who prefer more hours
Download xlsx [296.92 KB]
Table 5. Characteristics of part-time workers who prefer more hours
Download xlsx [1.06 MB]
Table 6. Duration of insufficient hours of underemployed part-time workers
Download xlsx [2.25 MB]
Table 7. Number of extra weekly hours preferred by underemployed part-time workers
Download xlsx [1.99 MB]
Table 8. Main difficulty in finding more work of underemployed part-time workers
Download xlsx [614.75 KB]

Relative standard errors, Tables 2 to 8

Data files

Download zip [4.28 MB]

Download all (798.91 KB)

Microdata and TableBuilder

Data files

Table 1. Populations
Download xlsx [563.32 KB]
Relative standard errors, Table 1
Download xlsx [399.56 KB]

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 6226.0* (and 6226.0.55.001 in 2014).

Prior to 2014, statistics were published in:

Labour Mobility (6209.0), 1972-2013.
Persons Not in the Labour Force (6220.0), 1975-2013.
Job Search Experience (6222.0), 1976-2013.
Underemployed workers (6265.0), 1985-2013.
Labour Force Experience (6206.0), 1968-2011.
Career Experience (6254.0), 1993-2002.
Retrenchment and Redundancy (6266.0), 1997-2001.
Successful and Unsuccessful Job Search Experience (6245.0), 1982-2000.
Persons Who Had Re-entered The Labour Force (6264.0), 1985-1995.
Persons Who Have Left The Labour Force (6267.0), 1985-1994.
Labour Turnover (6210.0), 1949-1976.

* Note: Catalogue number 6226.0 was previously used for School Leavers, 1970 to 1974: their Employment Status and Education Experience, May 1975.

Methodology

Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia methodology, February 2024

Do you need more detailed statistics?

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We can provide customised data to meet your requirements

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Microdata and TableBuilder

We can provide access to detailed, customisable data on selected topics

View available Microdata and TableBuilder

APA

Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia

APA

Key statistics

Topics

Microdata and Tablebuilder

Data downloads

How to use tables

Potential workers

Table 1. Potential workers and discouraged job seekers

Table 2. Characteristics of discouraged job seekers and other potential workers

Table 3. Duration since last job and main activity of discouraged job seekers and other potential workers

Table 4. Main reason for not actively looking for work of persons who wanted to work and were available

Table 4a. Reasons did not actively look for work

Table 5. Job search experience of unemployed persons

Table 6. Characteristics of successful and unsuccessful job search experience

Table 7. Number of job offers while looking for work

Table 8. Main difficulty and duration of job search of unemployed persons

Table 9. Main difficulty in finding work by age of unemployed persons

Relative standard errors, Tables 1 to 9

Job mobility

Table 1. Labour mobility, retrenchments and duration of employment

Table 2. Retrenchments and other reasons for ceasing a job last year

Table 3. Changes in employment characteristics of people employed last year

Table 4. Separations and other changes in employment of people employed last year by industry

Table 5. Engagements and other changes in employment of people employed last year by industry

Table 6. Separations and other changes in employment of people employed last year by occupation

Table 7. Engagements and other changes in employment of people employed last year by occupation

Relative standard errors, Tables 1 to 7

Underemployed workers

Table 1. Cyclical and structural underemployment of full-time and part-time workers

Table 2. Extended measures of underutilisation

Table 3. Underemployment status of full-time and part-time workers

Table 4. Part-time workers who prefer more hours

Table 5. Characteristics of part-time workers who prefer more hours

Table 6. Duration of insufficient hours of underemployed part-time workers

Table 7. Number of extra weekly hours preferred by underemployed part-time workers

Table 8. Main difficulty in finding more work of underemployed part-time workers

Relative standard errors, Tables 2 to 8

Microdata and TableBuilder

Table 1. Populations

Relative standard errors, Table 1

Previous catalogue number

Methodology

Media releases

Job mobility drops back to pre-COVID levels

Do you need more detailed statistics?

Request data

Microdata and TableBuilder