LABOUR FORCE


CONTENTS

Employed persons

Unemployment

Participation rate


EMPLOYED PERSONS

In trend terms, the total number of persons employed in South Australia has remained relatively steady through most of 2009 and was 793,300 in October 2009. The total number of persons employed in Australia in October 2009 was 10,807,900, an increase of 8,600 on the number employed in September 2009 (10,799,300).

The number of males employed full-time in South Australia in October 2009 was 342,400 (in trend terms), a slight decrease from the previous month (342,700). Looking at the composition of all male employees, those working full time accounted for 80.4% of the male workforce, down from 84.6% in October 2008. The number of females employed full-time in South Australia also fell between September and October 2009, from 181,100 to 179,900. Full-time female employees accounted for 48.9% of the female workforce in October 2009, down from 50.0% in October of the previous year.


UNEMPLOYMENT

The trend estimate unemployment rates for South Australia and Australia in October 2009 were 5.6% and 5.8% respectively. Both rates have held steady since June 2009 and South Australia's rate has been lower than the national rate for the last six months.

In October 2009 the trend unemployment rate for males in South Australia decreased slightly from 6.1% to 6.0%. The unemployment rate for Australian males (in trend terms) has remained relatively stable at 6.0% since June 2009. Following a period of sharp decline between December 2008 and June 2009, where the estimate fell from 5.8% to 4.9%, the trend unemployment rate for South Australian females has risen slightly to be 5.0% in October 2009. By contrast, the national unemployment rate for females (in trend terms) has risen from 5.0% in January 2009 to 5.6% in October 2009.

PARTICIPATION RATE

The trend estimate of the participation rate for South Australia was 63.2% in October 2009; down from the peak of 63.7% recorded in October 2008. Australia's trend participation rate has been relatively stable over the same period and was 65.2% in October 2009.

In South Australia, the participation rate for males rose slightly (0.1%) to be 69.6% in October 2009. The Australian participation rate for males remained at 72.1% for the fourth consecutive month. In contrast to the movement in the male series, the participation rate for South Australian females has continued to fall. From a peak of 57.9% in April and May 2009 the estimate has fallen to 57.1% in October. The Australian female participation rate was 58.4% in October 2009.