1308.8 - In fACT - Statistical Information on the ACT and Region, May 2010  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 11/05/2010   
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Contents >> People >> Labour Force

LABOUR FORCE

Age groups

Occupation

Industry

Usual hours

Average weekly earnings

Underutilisation rate


Age groups

EMPLOYED PERSONS(a), By Age

February 2005
February 2009
February 2010
Full time
Part time
Full time
Part time
Full time
Part time
Age group (years)
'000
%
'000
%
'000
%
'000
%
'000
%
'000
%

Australian Capital Territory

15 - 24
18.9
14.2
16.9
35.7
21.3
14.5
15.5
31.3
18.6
12.7
16.6
34.4
25 - 34
34.8
26.1
7.7
16.3
39.9
27.2
7.8
15.8
40.0
27.3
7.0
14.5
35 - 44
32.5
24.4
8.5
17.8
34.2
23.2
9.3
18.8
33.7
23.0
8.7
18.0
45 - 54
32.7
24.6
7.4
15.5
33.3
22.7
8.2
16.6
33.3
22.7
7.3
15.1
55 - 64
13.2
9.9
5.8
12.1
16.7
11.3
6.9
13.9
18.9
12.9
6.3
12.9
65 and over
1.1
0.8
1.2
2.6
1.6
1.1
1.8
3.7
2.0
1.4
2.4
5.1
Total
133.1
100.0
47.5
100.0
147.0
100.0
49.4
100.0
146.7
100.0
48.3
100.0

Australia

15 - 24
946.7
13.6
787.4
28.7
1 044.5
13.5
850.9
27.7
958.9
12.6
879.2
27.3
25 - 34
1 766.5
25.4
444.9
16.2
1 904.2
24.7
452.5
14.7
1 879.3
24.7
475.4
14.8
35 - 44
1 744.5
25.0
587.6
21.4
1 851.1
24.0
637.6
20.7
1 815.8
23.8
661.8
20.6
45 - 54
1 648.7
23.7
512.2
18.6
1 818.0
23.6
566.4
18.4
1 810.5
23.8
592.8
18.4
55 - 64
777.8
11.2
324.2
11.8
971.1
12.6
426.9
13.9
1 017.4
13.4
451.8
14.0
65 and over
80.4
1.2
91.4
3.3
125.1
1.6
141.1
4.6
136.0
1.8
158.5
4.9
Total
6 964.5
100.0
2 747.7
100.0
7 714.0
100.0
3 075.3
100.0
7 617.9
100.0
3 219.4
100.0

(a) Annual averages.
Source: Labour Force, Australia, Detailed - Electronic Delivery (cat. no. 6291.0.55.001).


Employed full time

The average number of Australian Capital Territory (ACT) usual residents employed full time in the 12 months ending February 2010 was 146,700, similar to the previous year (147,000), and up 10.2% (+13,600) from February 2005 (133,100). The average number of people employed full time in Australia in the 12 months ending February 2010 was 7.6 million, down 1.2% (-96,100) from the year to February 2009 (7.7 million) and up 9.4% (653,400) from the 12 months ending February 2005 (6.9 million).

From the 12 months ending February 2005 to the 12 months ending February 2010 the number of full time employed persons in the 65 years and over age group in the ACT experienced the strongest growth of all age groups up 900 (+81.8%). Nationally, the 65 years and over age group experienced the strongest growth in the number of employed persons with an increase of 55,600 (+69.2%).

Employed part time

The average number of ACT usual residents employed part time in the 12 months ending February 2010 was 48,300, down 2.2% from the previous year (49,400). Nationally, the average number of people employed part time in the 12 months ending February 2010 was 3.2 million, up 5% (+144,100) from 2009 (3.1 million).

The proportion of people employed part time, aged 15-24 years, has consistently been higher than any other age group in the ACT and nationally. However, the proportion in the ACT has declined from 35.7% in 2005 to 34.4% in 2010, while nationally the decline was from 28.7% in 2005 to 27.3% in 2010.


Occupation

EMPLOYED PERSONS(a), By Occupation - Australian Capital Territory

February 2005
February 2010
Occupation major group(b)
'000
%
'000
%

Managers
25.8
14.3
28.7
14.7
Professionals
51.3
28.3
63.6
32.6
Technicians and Trades Workers
20.6
11.4
20.2
10.3
Community and Personal Service Workers
17.6
9.8
18.0
9.2
Clerical and Administrative Workers
35.0
19.3
36.7
18.8
Sales Workers
15.6
8.6
13.9
7.1
Machinery Operators And Drivers
4.8
2.7
4.4
2.3
Labourers
10.2
5.6
9.6
4.9
Total
180.9
100.0
195.2
100.0

(a) Annual average of quarterly data.
(b) Classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupation (ANZSCO), First Edition, 2006.
Source: Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, Quarterly (cat. no. 6291.0.55.003)


Based on occupation by major group, Professionals made up the largest proportion of employed persons in the ACT for the February 2010 quarter (32.6%). The group with the largest increase over the five years (2004 to 2009) was Professionals, with 12,300 more people employed in the February 2010 quarter than in 2005. The group experiencing the largest decrease was Sales Workers, falling 1,700 persons from the quarter ending February 2005 to 2010.


Industry

EMPLOYED PERSONS(a), By Industry - Australian Capital Territory

February 2005
February 2010
Industry division(b)
'000
%
'000
%

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
0.7
0.4
0.9
0.5
Mining
-
-
-
-
Manufacturing
4.5
2.5
3.5
1.8
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services
1.5
0.8
1.1
0.6
Construction
10.5
5.8
12.8
6.6
Wholesale Trade
2.9
1.6
3.2
1.6
Retail Trade
17.7
9.8
14.6
7.5
Accommodation and Food Services
11.4
6.3
10.9
5.6
Transport, Postal and Warehousing
5.0
2.8
5.3
2.7
Information Media and Telecommunications
5.1
2.8
4.4
2.3
Financial and Insurance Services
3.4
1.9
3.9
2.0
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services
3.1
1.7
2.1
1.1
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
17.2
9.5
21.2
10.9
Administrative and Support Services
5.9
3.2
4.6
2.3
Public Administration and Safety
48.7
26.9
57.2
29.3
Education and Training
16.2
8.9
19.6
10.0
Health Care and Social Assistance
16.4
9.1
17.8
9.1
Total
180.9
100.0
195.2
100.0

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) Annual average of quarterly data.
(b) Classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) 2006 edition.
Source: Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, Quarterly (cat. no. 6291.0.55.003).


Based on employment by industry division, the largest employer in the ACT for the 12 months ending February quarter 2010 was Public Administration and Safety (57,200). This was also the industry with the largest increase in employed persons between the quarter ending February 2005 and quarter ending February 2010 (8,500 persons).


Usual hours

EMPLOYED PERSONS(a), By Usual hours worked

February 2010
Full time
Part time
'000
%
'000
%

Australian Capital Territory

0 hours
-
-
-
-
1-15 hours
0.3
0.2
19.2
39.8
16-29 hours
0.9
0.6
19.7
40.9
30-34 hours
1.2
0.8
9.1
18.8
35-39 hours
56.8
38.7
-
-
40 hours
39.1
26.7
-
-
41-44 hours
7.2
4.9
-
-
45-49 hours
14.9
10.2
-
-
50-59 hours
17.3
11.8
-
-
60 or more hours
9.1
6.2
-
-
Total
146.7
100.0
48.3
100.0

Australia

0 hours
3.1
-
22.1
0.7
1-15 hours
11.9
0.2
1 241.9
38.6
16-29 hours
49.6
0.7
1 376.3
42.8
30-34 hours
78.7
1.0
579.1
18.0
35-39 hours
2 354.0
30.9
-
-
40 hours
2 288.0
30.0
-
-
41-44 hours
321.2
4.2
-
-
45-49 hours
791.8
10.4
-
-
50-59 hours
984.5
12.9
-
-
60 or more hours
735.0
9.6
-
-
Total
7 617.9
100.0
3 219.4
100.0

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) Annual average monthly data.
Source: Labour Force, Australia, Detailed - Electronic Delivery (cat. no. 6291.0.55.001).


Usual hours worked by employed persons, on average, during the 12 months ending February 2010 differed between the ACT and Australia. A smaller proportion of full-time workers in the ACT worked 41 hours or more per week (33.1%) compared with Australia (37.1%). However, a larger proportion of ACT full-time employed (65.4%) worked between 35-40 hours than the national average (60.9%). In the 12 months ending February 2010 the most common hours usually worked by people employed part time in the ACT and Australia were 16-29 hours per week (ACT 40.9%, Australia 42.8%).


Average weekly earnings

AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS: Trend

November 2008
November 2009

Australian Capital Territory

Earnings $
1 075.2
1 126.8
Change from previous quarter %
2.1
1.1
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year %
6.5
4.8

Australia

Earnings $
909.0
953.7
Change from previous quarter %
1.0
1.6
Change from corresponding quarter of previous year %
3.8
4.9

Source: Average Weekly Earning, Australia (cat. no. 6302.0)


In trend terms, Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) of $1,127 for the ACT in November 2009 were $173 higher than the national average of $954. AWE increased 4.8% between November 2008 and November 2009 for the ACT (from $1,075 to $1,127) and 4.9% for Australia (from $909 to $954).


Underutilisation rate
LABOUR FORCE UNDERUTILISATION RATE(a), Trend
Graph: LABOUR FORCE UNDERUTILISATION RATE(a), Trend


In trend terms, the labour force underutilisation rate for Australia generally fell between February 2004 and May 2008 to a low of 10.0% and has since risen to 13.0% in Feb 2010. Over the same period, the labour force underutilisation rate for ACT has increased by only 0.8 percentage points (8.7% in the February quarter 2004 to 9.5% in the February quarter 2010).







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