LABOUR STATISTICS
OBJECTIVES
The Labour Statistics program provides evidence to support labour market, economic and social analysis through the provision of high quality labour statistics in a timely, efficient and effective manner. The program provides information about the structure and performance of the labour market, including statistics on labour force participation, employment, hours worked, unemployment and labour under-utilisation, job vacancies, employment conditions and working arrangements, employee earnings and labour costs, and workplace relations.
Labour statistics are used extensively in the analysis, evaluation, and monitoring of the economy; the labour market; and a wide range of government policies and programs (such as those relating to employment, income support and workplace relations). Statistics on labour costs and aggregate hours worked are also used in compiling the Australian National Accounts.
The main clients of the program are Australian Government agencies (including the Department of the Treasury; the Reserve Bank of Australia; the Fair Work Commission; the Productivity Commission; the Commonwealth Grants Commission and the departments of: Employment; Education and Social Services); state and territory government agencies; industry associations; trade unions; and academic researchers.
OUTPUTS
Key statistics on labour supply, including labour force participation, employment, unemployment, under-utilisation and hours worked, are published in:
Statistics on particular aspects of labour supply, such as labour mobility, underemployment, job search experience, retirement and retirement intentions, barriers and incentives to labour force participation, and marginal attachment to the labour force, are published periodically.
Statistics on job vacancies, i.e. unmet demand for labour, are released quarterly in
Job Vacancies, Australia (cat. no. 6354.0). Statistics on characteristics of employees' working arrangements, working time arrangements, forms of employment, independent contracting, and labour hire are also published periodically. Statistics about industrial relations include quarterly industrial disputes, trade union membership, award and agreement coverage.
Statistics on average weekly earnings of employees are released biannually in
Average Weekly Earnings, Australia (cat. no. 6302.0). Employee earnings data are available annually together with employment and demographic characteristics. Earnings and employment data for the public sector are available annually. Distributional data on employee earnings and hours, and occupational earnings are available every two years. Data on major labour costs are produced on an infrequent basis.
DEVELOPMENTS
The main medium-term developments in the program are to:
- finalise the implementation of the recommendations from a review of the content of the labour household survey program - due December 2015
- implement the outcomes from the review of the industrial disputes statistics - due March quarter 2017
- implement alternative estimation methods for remote communities included in the Labour Force Survey - due June 2016
- develop new products to improve labour market statistics including a conceptual model for a Linked Employer-Employee Dataset - due June 2016
- develop a core set of statistical standards for labour household and business survey data items and additional conceptual frameworks for labour market statistics (including for workplace relations, non-standard working arrangements and marginal attachment) - due June 2017.
PROGRAM MANAGER
Bernard Williams
Labour & Income Branch
RESOURCES
| Program costs | $m |
| 2015-16 | 6.9 |
| 2016-17 | 8.2 |
| 2017-18 | 7.5 |
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