Payroll jobs rise 0.3% to mid-June
Payroll jobs rose 0.3 per cent in the month to 10 June 2023, following a 1.1 per cent rise in the previous month, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Bjorn Jarvis, ABS head of labour statistics, said: “We saw a broadly similar pattern in the latest data to that seen last year, with slower growth in payroll jobs between mid-May and mid-June following the recovery from the low around the Easter holiday period.”
The end of the financial year usually involves a higher degree of reporting variation, as employers finalise their employees’ earnings information and the financial year is reset in payrolls.
“It can be more challenging to interpret short-term changes in the labour market from this data around June and July. As payroll reporting becomes more complete, there tends to be a slightly higher level of revision than usual across this period.”
“At this time of the year it’s useful to take a longer view of the data, to gauge how the labour market is faring.”
“Over the most recent year of data, up to mid-June 2023, payroll jobs grew by 4.7 per cent. This was broadly in step with the annual growth of 4.5 per cent we saw in the year to mid-June 2022,” Mr Jarvis said.
End March is the weeks ending 26 March 2022 and 25 March 2023, mid-April is 16 April 2022 and 15 April 2023, mid-May is 14 May 2022 and 13 May 2023, mid-June is 11 June 2022 and 10 June 2023, and end June is 25 June 2022.
Payroll jobs rise in 7 of 8 states and territories
Payroll jobs rose in almost every state and territory in the month to mid-June 2023. The largest rises were in the Northern Territory (up 0.9 per cent) and South Australia (0.6 per cent). Tasmania was the only jurisdiction to see a fall across this period (down 0.2 per cent).
Payroll jobs increased in every state and territory in the year to mid-June 2023, with Western Australia recording the largest growth (up 5.8 per cent) and the Australian Capital Territory the lowest (up 3.8 per cent).
Payroll jobs change varies across industry
The change in payroll jobs over the month to mid-June 2023 varied across industry.
Over three quarters (78 per cent) of payroll jobs are held within ten of the nineteen industries. Among these large employers, the largest increases in payroll jobs were seen in Education and training (up 1.7 per cent) and Health care and social services (up 0.7 per cent). The largest decreases were seen in Accommodation and food services (down 0.6 per cent) and Wholesale trade (down 0.3 per cent).
Media notes
- As at mid-June 2023, the ten largest employing industries for payroll jobs were: Manufacturing, Construction, Wholesale trade, Retail trade, Accommodation and food services, Professional, scientific and technical services, Administrative and support services, Public administration and safety, Education and training, Health care and social assistance.
- Payroll jobs are not seasonally adjusted, which generally requires at least three years of reasonably stable data. The longstanding seasonally adjusted Labour Force statistics series can aid in the interpretation of labour statistics across periods of greater seasonality, through the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Payroll jobs are predominantly employee jobs paid through payrolls. Some industries, such as Agriculture, forestry and fishing and Construction, have high proportions of owner managers who are not included in payroll reporting. For more information, see the Scope and coverage section in the Methodology of this release.
- In each release, as more complete data are received, payroll jobs and wages estimates are revised. The magnitude of revisions can vary at some points of the year, such as the end of the financial year and calendar year in line with changes in the reporting activity of businesses.
- The ABS acknowledges the continued support of the ATO in enabling the ABS to produce weekly insights into the Australian labour market from Single Touch Payroll data.
- To learn more about our different labour measures, their purpose and how to use them, see our new Guide to labour statistics. It provides summary information on labour market topics including Industry employment and Earnings data.
- When reporting ABS data you must attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.
- For media requests and interviews, contact the ABS Media Team via media@abs.gov.au (8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri).
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