STANDARD ERRORS
The Technical Note provides more information about the reliability of estimates based on a sample survey. However, in general terms, very small estimates are subject to high sampling errors (relative to the size of the estimate).
Estimates with a relative standard error (RSE) of 25% or greater would not be suitable for most practical purposes. These estimates are marked with annotations in Tables 1 to 5 (available in Downloads). The actual standard errors for level estimates are also provided as a separate worksheet in the Tables.
Comparisons over time of Indigenous labour force characteristics should be interpreted with particular caution. It is important to take into account the high standard errors associated with annual movements. For example, the estimated number of Indigenous people in the labour force increased 4,900 from 202,700 in 2010 to 207,600 in 2011. However, the standard error on this movement (5,800) means that this increase is not statistically significant.
The standard errors of the year to year movements are included as a separate worksheet in Tables 1 to 5 (available in Downloads).