LABOUR FORCE

Job Vacancies

In original terms, Queensland's total number of job vacancies increased to 31,600 in February 2010 from 27,900 in November 2009. The February 2010 vacancies were 13% higher than in November 2009. Public sector vacancies accounted for 11% of total job vacancies in February 2010.

Gap in series

This is the first issue of Job Vacancies, Australia since May 2008, due to the suspension of the Job Vacancies Survey in 2008-09.

Caution should be used when comparing estimates from November 2009 onwards with estimates for May 2008 and previous periods, due to the changes outlined below:

• As a result of the suspension of the job vacancies survey, no original estimates were produced for five quarters between August 2008 and August 2009 inclusive. The ABS cannot produce reliable estimates by collecting this missing data retrospectively. As a consequence, no estimates are available for the 5 quarters.
• A new sample is being used in the job vacancies survey from November 2009, based on ANZSIC 2006 and incorporating improvements to the survey frame.
• From November 2009, industry statistics presented are on the basis of Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 edition. Industry data up to May 2008 are available only on an ANZSIC 1993 basis. For further details, see Explanatory Notes paragraphs 20 to 22 in Job Vacancies, Australia.

Further information on this topic can be accessed at Job Vacancies, Australia (cat. no. 6354.0).

Employed Persons

In May 2010, total employment in Queensland in trend terms rose 0.4% to 2,281,100 persons, the tenth monthly rise following six consecutive monthly decreases. Full-time employed persons (1,629,700) accounted for 71% of total employed persons. Males accounted for 64% of full-time employed persons and 54% of total employed persons.

Unemployment

The trend estimate of the number of unemployed persons in Queensland for May 2010 was 132,100 persons. This equates to an unemployment rate of 5.5%. In trend estimate terms, the Queensland unemployment rate has fallen or been steady for the last seven months following fourteen consecutive months in which it increased or remained steady and for the last ten months has been higher than the national unemployment rate.

In Queensland in May 2010, the male unemployment rate was 5.3% and the female unemployment rate was 5.7%. From November 2008 to February 2010, female unemployment rates were lower than male unemployment rates, but since then the male unemployment rate has been lower.

Participation Rate

The trend estimate of the participation rate for Queensland in May 2010 rose 0.1% to 67.6%. This rate is 2.7 percentage points higher than in May 2000. Queensland has recorded participation rates equal to or higher than the national average since September 1988.

For Queensland, the trend participation rate for females has been over 60% since June 2006 and recorded 61.3% in May 2010. This is a 4.8 percentage points increase over the female participation rate recorded in May 2000. The male participation rate in May 2010 was 74% which was 0.4 percentage points lower than the rate recorded for May 2000.

Further information on these topics can be accessed at Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0) or by contacting the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070. These publications are released monthly.

Employed Persons by Industry

There were 2,238,500 employed persons in Queensland in February 2010. The five industries with the most number of employed persons were Retail trade (248,900), Health care and social assistance (237,600), Construction (236,700), Manufacturing (177,400), and Education and training (156,000). Those industries employing the least number of persons included Electricity, gas, water and waste services (29,600), Information, media and telecommunications (30,100), and Mining (39,900).

The five industries with the most number of employed persons accounted for almost 47% of Queensland's employed persons.

In the year February 2009 to February 2010, the greatest proportional increase of employed persons occurred in the Wholesale trade industry (38%). In the same period, Mining had the greatest proportional decrease in employed persons with a reduction of 20%.

Note: Employed persons by industry has been reported in original terms and cannot be directly compared with the trend estimates reported for Labour Force.

For more detailed information on this topic, please refer to Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, Quarterly (cat. no. 6291.0.55.003) or contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070. This publication is released quarterly.

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