LABOUR FORCE


CONTENTS

Employed persons

Unemployment

Participation rate


EMPLOYED PERSONS

Following a period of relative stability, the total number of persons employed in South Australia (in trend terms) has fallen over the last three months. The February 2011 estimate of 813,400 persons employed is down from 813,700 persons employed in January, but 0.8% above the estimate recorded in February 2010 (807,000). Nationally, a total of 11,433,700 persons were employed in February 2011; an increase of 2.9% over the corresponding month of the previous year.

The number of males employed full-time in South Australia fell for the third consecutive month, down marginally from 363,100 in January 2011 to 363,000 (in trend terms) in February 2011. Similarly, the number of females employed full-time fell for the fourth consecutive month, down to 187,600. The February 2011 estimate of the number of females employed full-time is 2.0% higher than the corresponding month of the previous year, while for males the February estimate is 1.9% higher over the same period.

Looking at the composition of all male employees, those working full-time accounted for 83.0% of the male workforce in February 2011, up from 81.2% in February 2010. In comparison, full-time female employees accounted for 49.9% of the female workforce in both February 2011 and 2010.


UNEMPLOYMENT

South Australia's trend unemployment rate held steady in February 2011 at 5.6%. The estimate remains above the national unemployment rate for the tenth consecutive month. The Australian unemployment rate fell to 5.0% in February 2011.

From a low of 5.1% in early 2010, the trend unemployment rate for South Australian males has generally risen, but in February 2011 the estimate fell marginally to 5.5%. Over the same period the trend unemployment rate for South Australian females has fluctuated, but remained steady at 5.7% in February 2011. This latest estimate has the female unemployment rate above the male rate for the second consecutive month.

Nationally, the trend unemployment rate for males remained steady at 4.8%, while the female unemployment rate fell slightly to 5.3%.

PARTICIPATION RATE

The trend estimate of the participation rate for South Australia has shown frequent fluctuations, but little overall gains over recent times. In February 2011, the estimate fell slightly to 63.3% from 63.4% the previous month. Australia's trend participation rate has remained relatively steady over recent months and remained unchanged in February 2011 at 65.8%.

From a peak of 70.3% in December 2009 and early 2010, the South Australian participation rate for males has shown some fluctuation, but over recent months has fallen to be 69.4% in February 2011. Over the same period, the Australian participation rate for males has generally risen and was 72.8% in February 2011. Following a period of growth, the participation rate for South Australian females has remained relatively unchanged over the last 6 months, with the February 2011 estimate at 57.5%. The Australian female participation rate fell slightly from the previous month to be 59.0% in February 2011.

*DATA NOTES

Please refer to the article Impact of the floods on the Labour Force Survey in Labour Force, Australia, Jan 2011 (cat. no. 6202.0).