Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia methodology

People who were taking active steps to find work. Active steps comprise:

• wrote, phoned or applied in person to an employer for work
• answered an advertisement for a job on the Internet, in a newspaper or on noticeboards
• had an interview with an employer
• contacted friends or relatives
• took steps to purchase or start up own business
• advertised or tendered for work
• registered with a jobactive Australia provider
• registered with other employment agency.
   

Actual hours of work refers to a specified reference period (e.g. a week) and includes:

• hours actually worked during normal periods of work
• time spent in addition to hours worked during normal periods of work (including overtime)
• time spent at the place of work on activities such as the preparation of the workplace, repairs and maintenance, preparation and cleaning of tools, and the preparation of receipts, time sheets and reports
• time spent at the place of work waiting or standing by due to machinery or process breakdown, accident, lack of supplies, power or internet access, etc.
• time corresponding to short rest periods (resting time) including tea and coffee breaks or prayer breaks
• travel time connected to work (excluding commuting time), and
• training and skills enhancement related to the job or employer.
   

Excluded are:

• hours paid for but not worked, such as paid annual leave, public holidays or paid sick leave
• meal breaks (e.g. lunch breaks)
• paid and unpaid time 'on call'
• time spent on travel to and from work when no productive activity for the job is performed (e.g. commuting time), and
• time off during working hours to attend outside educational activities, even if it is authorised, e.g. those not connected to the job or employer.
   

For multiple job holders, PJSM includes separate measure of actual hours worked in main job and in all jobs.

Age of the youngest child, 15 years and under, in the household.

Refers to employed or unemployed persons who were available to start work or more hours either in the reference week, or in the four weeks subsequent to the interview.

People who were available to start work within four weeks or, for people with children aged 12 years and under, could start work within four weeks if suitable child care was available.

Employees were considered to have had some change in work if they had been with their current employer for one year or more at February 2020 and reported that, in the 12 months to February 2020, they had:

• been promoted
• transferred to a different position
• changed usual hours worked, or
• changed occupation.
   

All usual residents of Australia aged 15 years and over except members of the permanent defence forces, certain diplomatic personnel of overseas governments customarily excluded from census and estimated population counts, overseas residents in Australia, and members of non-Australian defence forces (and their dependants) stationed in Australia.

People who work without pay in an economic enterprise operated by a relative.

People who were not classified as employed or unemployed who answered 'no' when asked if they would like a job.

People with marginal attachment to the labour force who did not have a job to go to, or return to, wanted to work and were available to start work within the next four weeks but whose main reason for not actively looking for work was that they believed they would not find a job for any of the following reasons:

• considered to be too young or too old by employers
• believes ill health or disability discourages employers
• lacked necessary schooling, training, skills or experience
• difficulties because of language or ethnic background
• no jobs in their locality or line of work
• no jobs in suitable hours; and
• no jobs at all.
   

For full-time workers who worked fewer than 35 hours in the reference week due to economic reasons, refers to the number of weeks they have been working fewer than 35 hours a week.

For part-time workers who would prefer to work more hours, refers to the number of weeks they have wanted to work more hours.

As periods of insufficient work are recorded in full weeks and rounded down, this results in a slight understatement of duration.

The period of time from when an unemployed person began looking for work until the end of the reference week; or the period of time since an unemployed person last worked in any job for two weeks or more until the end of the reference week; whichever was the shorter period. Brief periods of work (of less than two weeks) since the person began looking for work are disregarded.

The number of weeks or years that employed persons were looking for work before being offered their current job or starting their own business. For employed persons who had worked before, it includes any time they were looking for work before leaving their previous employer.

Economic reasons for full-time workers having worked fewer than 35 hours in the reference week are:

• there was no work or not enough work available, e.g. due to material shortages, or
• they were stood down.
   

All people aged 15 years and over who, during the reference week:

• worked for one hour or more for pay, profit, commission or payment in kind, in a job or business or on a farm (comprising employees, employers and own account workers), or
• worked for one hour or more without pay in a family business or on a farm (i.e. contributing family workers), or
• were employees who had a job but were not at work and were
  • away from work for less than four weeks up to the end of the reference week
  • away from work for more than four weeks up to the end of the reference week and received pay for some or all of the four week period to the end of the reference week
  • away from work as a standard work or shift arrangement
  • on strike or locked out
  • on workers' compensation and expected to return to their job; or
• were owner managers who had a job, business or farm, but were not at work.
   

An employed person who does not operate their own incorporated or unincorporated enterprise. An employee works for a public or private employer and receives remuneration in wages, salary, on a commission basis (with or without a retainer), tips, piece-rates, or payment in kind.

Two or more people, one of whom is at least 15 years of age, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption, step or fostering; and who are usually resident in the same household. The basis of a family is formed by identifying the presence of a couple relationship, lone parent-child relationship or other blood relationship. Some households will, therefore, contain more than one family.

Includes ill health of someone other than themselves, caring for children and other family considerations.

Refers to employees (excluding Owner Managers of Incorporated Enterprises (OMIEs)) who had never worked for two weeks or more before starting their current job.

People who preferred to work 35 hours or more a week.

The perception of people of whether they worked full-time or part-time in their last job.

Employed persons who usually worked 35 hours or more a week (in all jobs) and others who, although usually working fewer than 35 hours a week, worked 35 hours or more during the reference week.

People waiting to start, within four weeks of the end of the reference week, a new job that they have already obtained (and could have started in the reference week if the job had been available then). Under International Labour Organisation (ILO) guidelines, these people do not have to be actively looking for work to be classified as unemployed.

People who were waiting to start a job, but would not be starting within four weeks. Also includes people who had a job but, up to the end of the reference week, had been away from work without pay for four weeks or longer and had not been actively looking for work.

Refers to employees (excluding OMIEs) who had worked before and were either out of work or changed their employer before starting their current job.

An industry is a group of businesses or organisations that undertake similar economic activities to produce goods and/or services. In this publication, industry refers to ANZSIC Division as classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 (Revision 2.0) (cat. no. 1292.0).

The intention of people to work or look for work in the 12 months following the interview.

Refers to whether people were prepared to move to another state or territory if offered a suitable job.

Refers to whether people were prepared to move to another part of their state or territory if offered a suitable job.

Any paid employment, full-time or part-time, lasting two weeks or more.

Employed persons who started their current job in the previous 12 months.

For any group, people who were employed or unemployed, as defined.

People who are classified as voluntarily ceasing their last job.

Level of highest educational attainment identifies the highest achievement a person has attained in any area of study. It is not a measurement of the relative importance of different fields of study but a ranking of qualifications and other educational attainments regardless of the particular area of study or the type of institution in which the study was undertaken. It is categorised according to the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED), 2001 (cat. no. 1272.0) Level of education classification.

A person's level of highest non-school qualification is the highest qualification a person has attained in any area of formal study other than school study. It is categorised according to the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED), 2001 (cat. no. 1272.0) Level of education classification.

People whose duration of current period of insufficient work is 12 months or more.

People whose duration of current period of unemployment is 12 months or more.

Looked for work with more hours at some time during the four weeks up to the end of the reference week.

People who have worked for two weeks or more in the past two years and who left that job involuntarily.

The main activity of persons who are not in the labour force since they last worked or looked for work (or in the last 12 months if they haven't worked in the last year).

The self reported main difficulty in finding work experienced during the current period of unemployment.

The job in which most hours are usually worked.

Persons who were not in the labour force in the reference week, wanted to work and:

• were actively looking for work but did not meet the availability criterion to be classified as unemployed; or
• were not actively looking for work but were available to start work within four weeks; or
• had a job to go to but were not available to start in the reference week.
   

The criteria for determining those in the labour force are based on activity (i.e. working or looking for work) and availability to start work during the reference week. The criteria associated with marginal attachment to the labour force, in particular the concepts of wanting to work and reasons for not actively looking for work, are more subjective. Hence, the measurement against these criteria is affected by the respondent’s own interpretation of the concepts used. An individual respondent’s interpretation may be affected by their work aspirations, as well as family, economic and other commitments.

For more information see article Understanding the Australian Labour Force Using ABS Statistics in Labour Force, Australia (6202.0).

Non-economic reasons for full-time workers having worked fewer than 35 hours in the reference week include:

• annual leave, holidays, flextime, or long service leave
• own illness, injury or sick leave
• standard work arrangements or shift work
• personal reasons, studying, caring for sick or injured family members
• maternity, paternity or parental leave
• bad weather or plant breakdown
• on strike, locked out, or industrial dispute
• end of seasonal work.
   

Refers to people who were not available to start work with more hours either in the reference week, or in the four weeks following the interview.

People who are not fully employed comprise part-time workers who would prefer to work more hours, and full-time workers who worked part-time hours in the reference week for economic reasons.

The number of separate offers of employment received during the current period of unemployment.

An occupation is a collection of jobs that are sufficiently similar in their title and tasks, skill level and skill specialisation which are grouped together for the purposes of classification. In this publication, occupation refers to Major Group and Sub-Major Group as defined by ANZSCO - Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, 2013, Version 1.2 (cat. no. 1220.0).

People who work in their own incorporated enterprise, that is, a business entity which is registered as a separate legal entity to its members or owners (also known as a limited liability company). These people are sometimes classified as employees. They can work alone or in a business with employees.

People who operate their own unincorporated enterprise, that is, a business entity in which the owner and the business are legally inseparable, so that the owner is liable for any business debts that are incurred. Includes those engaged independently in a trade or profession. They can work alone or in a business with employees.

People who preferred to work one to 34 hours a week.

Employed persons who usually worked fewer than 35 hours a week (in all jobs) and either did so during the reference week, or were not at work during the reference week.

People with personal reasons for not actively looking for work include:

• own short-term illness or injury
• own long-term health condition or disability
• attending an educational institution
• had no need or want to work
• fully occupied with voluntary work
• problems with access to transport
• moved house or holidays.
   

Persons not in the labour force can be divided into those who are marginally attached to the labour force, and those who are not. People who are marginally attached to the labour force satisfy some, but not all, of the criteria required to be classified as unemployed.

Persons not in the labour force are considered to be marginally attached to the labour force if they:

• wanted to work and were actively looking for work (but, unlike unemployed persons, were not available to start work in the reference week), or
• wanted to work and were not actively looking for work but were available to start work within four weeks, or
• had a job to go to but were not available to start in the reference week.
   

Persons not in the labour force are not marginally attached to the labour force if they:

• did not want to work, or
• wanted to work but were not actively looking for work and were not available to start work within four weeks.
   

The number of hours unemployed persons would like to work each week.

The number of extra hours a week an underemployed worker would have preferred to work.

The total number of hours per week an underemployed worker would prefer to work.

Classifies reasons for turning down job offers in current period of unemployment according to the following categories:

• Unsuitable job conditions
  • unsatisfactory pay or conditions
  • not in locality or line of work
  • hours unsuitable
  • unwilling to move state or city
  • too far to travel

• Personal reasons
  • own short-term illness or injury
  • own long-term health condition or disability
  • pregnancy
  • welfare or pension payments may be affected
  • returned to study

• Family reasons
  • child care
  • caring for an ill or elderly person or family member
• Other
  • waiting to start another job or starting a new business
  • other reasons
  • did not know.
     

An occupation is a collection of jobs that are sufficiently similar in their title and tasks, skill level and skill specialisation which are grouped together for the purposes of classification. In this publication, skill level of occupation refers to the skill levels defined for each occupation in the ANZSCO - Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, 2013, Version 1.2 (cat. no. 1220.0).

Classifies employed persons according to the following categories on the basis of their current job:

• Employees
  • with paid leave entitlements
  • without paid leave entitlements

• Owner managers of incorporated enterprises
  • with employees
  • without employees

• Owner managers of unincorporated enterprises
  • with employees
  • without employees

• Contributing family workers.
   

People who are in a situation where an employer is unable to provide useful work for its employees, for a particular period of time, for circumstances beyond its control.

A suitable job is:

• any job for which the person is qualified (if applicable), is capable of performing and which provides adequate job conditions (including pay, hours, travel to work, etc.)
• a job that would be accepted by the person irrespective of whether a move was required.
   

The elapsed time since ceasing the last job.

Underemployed workers are employed persons who would prefer, and are available for, more hours of work than they currently have. They comprise:

• part-time workers who would prefer to work more hours and were available to start work with more hours, either in the reference week or in the four weeks subsequent to the survey; and
• full-time workers who worked part-time hours in the reference week for economic reasons (such as being stood down or insufficient work being available). It is assumed that these people would prefer to work full time in the reference week and would have been available to do so.
   

The sum of the number of people unemployed and the number of the people in underemployment, expressed as a proportion of the labour force.

People aged 15 years and over who were not employed during the reference week, and:

• had actively looked for full-time or part-time work at any time in the four weeks up to the end of the reference week and were available for work in the reference week; or
• were waiting to start a new job within four weeks from the end of the reference week, and could have started in the reference week if the job had been available then.
   

For any group, the number of unemployed people expressed as a percentage of the labour force in the same group.

Usual hours of work refers to a typical period rather than the hours worked in a specified reference period. The concept of usual hours applies both to people at work and to people temporarily absent from work, and is defined as the hours worked during a typical week or day. Actual hours worked (for a specific reference period) may differ from usual hours worked due to illness, vacation, strike, overtime work, a change of job, or similar reasons.

Persons not in the labour force who were not actively looking for work who answered 'yes' or 'maybe' when asked if they would like a job, as well as those persons not in the labour force who were actively looking. It is assumed those people actively looking want a job.

The entitlement of employees to either paid holiday leave or paid sick leave (or both) in their current job. People employed in their own business or who were contributing family workers were not asked questions about paid leave entitlements.

Employees who were not entitled to, or did not know whether they were entitled to, paid holiday leave and paid sick leave in their current job.

1. Reasons provided by respondents in this item are not mutually exclusive categories.

For information on the institutional environment of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), including the legislative obligations of the ABS, financing and governance arrangements, and mechanisms for scrutiny of ABS operations, please see ABS Institutional Environment.

The 2020 Participation, Job Search and Mobility (PJSM) survey presents information about participation, underemployment, marginal attachment, job mobility and job search. The collection of a range of socio-demographic and labour force characteristics makes the datasets produced from the survey extremely valuable for comparing and analysing a person's experience relating to job search, job change and increasing participation, all of which can be cross classified by other employment characteristics such as hours worked, industry, occupation and sector of job as well as personal characteristics.

The Participation, Job Search and Mobility survey was conducted in February 2020 as a supplement to the ABS monthly Labour Force Survey (LFS). Results from this survey are released in the publication Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia (cat. no. 6226.0).

Estimates from the PJSM are subject to sampling and non-sampling errors. Relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the size of the sampling error affecting an estimate, i.e. the error introduced by basing estimates on a sample of the population rather than the full population. Non-sampling errors are inaccuracies that occur due to imperfections in reporting by respondents and interviewers, and errors made in coding and processing data.

This publication was designed primarily to provide estimates at the Australia level. Broad estimates are available for state/territory and/or capital city/balance of state, though users should exercise caution when using estimates at this level because of the presence of high sampling errors. Relative standard errors for all estimates are available in the relevant data cube.

For further information regarding the accuracy of the PJSM survey estimates, including standard errors, see the Technical note.

This survey will inform on the following broad labour market issues - labour force participation potential, underemployment and marginal attachment, as well as job search experience and labour mobility. This information can be cross classified by characteristics such as duration of job search, last job details, hours worked, industry and occupation as well as personal characteristics.

Caution should be exercised when comparing results from the 2020 PJSM survey with previous years topics as Persons Not In The Labour Force (PNILF) and Underemployed Workers (UEW) were previously collected in September, Job Search Experience (JSE) in July and Labour Mobility (LMOB) was collected in February. Collection of data from this combined survey was undertaken in February. The populations used in each may not be directly comparable.

For information on the comparability of time series for the publication Persons Not In The Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6220.0), see the Explanatory Notes.

For information on the comparability of time series for the publication Underemployed Workers, Australia (cat. no. 6265.0), see the Explanatory Notes.

For information on the comparability of time series for the publication Job Search Experience, Australia (cat. no. 6222.0), see the Explanatory Notes.

For information on the comparability of time series for the publication Labour Mobility, Australia (cat. no. 6209.0), see the Explanatory Notes.

Contained within PJSM are data cubes with commented data to aid interpretation of the results of the survey. Detailed Explanatory Notes, a Technical Note and a Glossary are also included providing information on the terminology, classifications and other technical aspects associated with these statistics.

Further commentary is often available through articles and data published in other ABS products, including, Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0) and Labour Statistics: Concepts, Sources and Methods (cat. no. 6102.0.55.001).

Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia (cat. no. 6226.0) is released electronically via the ABS website as data cubes in spreadsheet format. Additional data may be available on request (subject to data quality). Note that detailed data can be subject to high relative standard errors.

For users who wish to undertake a more detailed analysis of the data, the survey microdata will be released through the TableBuilder product. For more details, refer to the TableBuilder information, Microdata, Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia (cat. no. 6226.0.00.001). For more information see About TableBuilder.

For more information about ABS data available on request, contact National Information and Referral Service in Canberra on 1300 135 070 or via email to client.services@abs.gov.au, or contact the Labour Surveys Branch on labour.statistics@abs.gov.au.