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Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia

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Labour participation potential, underemployment and job attachment, job search experience, labour mobility, hours worked, industry and occupation.

Reference period

February 2023

Released

30/06/2023

View all releases

Key statistics

During the year ending February 2023:

1.8 million people were not working but wanted to work (potential workers).
Job mobility remained at 9.5% for a second year in a row, the highest rate in a decade.
The annual retrenchment rate was 1.4%, the lowest annual rate on record (since 1972).

Topics

Statistics from the Participation, Job Search and Mobility (PJSM) survey are published in three topic-based releases.

Microdata and Tablebuilder

PJSM microdata for 2015 to 2023 is now available in ABS DataLab, released as a supplementary file for the Longitudinal Labour Force (LLFS) microdata. All existing users of the LLFS microdata will automatically get access to the additional file and new users can apply for access to both files.

A detailed data item list for the PJSM microdata is available in Microdata and TableBuilder: Participation, Job Search and Mobility

The release of PJSM data into TableBuilder has been delayed until later in the year.

Data downloads

How to use tables

Download all (16.11 MB)

Potential workers

Data files

Table 1. Potential workers and discouraged job seekers
Download xlsx [447.21 KB]
Table 2. Characteristics of discouraged job seekers and other potential workers
Download xlsx [3.72 MB]
Table 3. Duration since last job and main activity of discouraged job seekers and other potential workers
Download xlsx [3.54 MB]
Table 4. Main reason for not actively looking for work of persons who wanted to work and were available
Download xlsx [483.86 KB]
Table 4a. Reasons did not actively look for work
Download xlsx [1.54 MB]
Table 5. Job search experience of unemployed persons
Download xlsx [973 KB]
Table 6. Characteristics of successful and unsuccessful job search experience (updated 5 July 2023)
Download xlsx [1.14 MB]
Table 7. Number of job offers while looking for work
Download xlsx [2.5 MB]
Table 8. Main difficulty and duration of job search of unemployed persons
Download xlsx [2.69 MB]
Table 9. Main difficulty in finding work by age of unemployed persons
Download xlsx [1.83 MB]

Relative standard errors, Tables 1 to 9

Data files

Download zip [13.15 MB]

Download all (10.54 MB)

Job mobility

Data files

Table 1. Labour mobility, retrenchments and duration of employment
Download xlsx [1.07 MB]
Table 2. Retrenchments and other reasons for ceasing a job last year
Download xlsx [2.71 MB]
Table 3. Changes in employment characteristics of people employed last year
Download xlsx [923.4 KB]
Table 4. Separations and other changes in employment of people employed last year by industry
Download xlsx [2.37 MB]
Table 5. Engagements and other changes in employment of people employed last year by industry
Download xlsx [2.35 MB]
Table 6. Separations and other changes in employment of people employed last year by occupation
Download xlsx [1.61 MB]
Table 7. Engagements and other changes in employment of people employed last year by occupation
Download xlsx [1.57 MB]

Relative standard errors, Tables 1 to 7

Data files

Download zip [9.21 MB]

Download all (6.51 MB)

Underemployed workers

Data files

Table 1. Cyclical and structural underemployment of full-time and part-time workers
Download xlsx [1.29 MB]
Table 2. Extended measures of underutilisation
Download xlsx [211.49 KB]
Table 3. Underemployment status of full-time and part-time workers
Download xlsx [214.03 KB]
Table 4. Part-time workers who prefer more hours
Download xlsx [280.79 KB]
Table 5. Characteristics of part-time workers who prefer more hours
Download xlsx [995.54 KB]
Table 6. Duration of insufficient hours of underemployed part-time workers
Download xlsx [2.2 MB]
Table 7. Number of extra weekly hours preferred by underemployed part-time workers (updated 5 July 2023)
Download xlsx [1.93 MB]
Table 8. Main difficulty in finding more work of underemployed part-time workers
Download xlsx [593.87 KB]

Relative standard errors, Tables 2 to 8

Data files

Download zip [4.41 MB]

Download all (1.11 MB)

Microdata and TableBuilder

Data files

Table 1. Populations
Download xlsx [545.14 KB]
Relative standard errors, Table 1
Download xlsx [385.85 KB]
Participation, Job Search and Mobility data item list, 2015 to 2023
Download xlsx [660.24 KB]

Post release changes

5 July 2023:

References to "jobactive Australia" were replaced with "Workforce Australia" in the data item "All steps taken to find work or more hours in the last 12 months" in Table 6 of Potential workers and Table 7 of Underemployed workers. There were no changes to the data, and the questions asked in the February 2023 survey were already updated to ask about engagement with Workforce Australia providers, not jobactive.

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 6226.0* (and 6226.0.55.001 in 2014).

Prior to 2014, statistics were published in:

Labour Mobility (6209.0), 1972-2013.
Persons Not in the Labour Force (6220.0), 1975-2013.
Job Search Experience (6222.0), 1976-2013.
Underemployed workers (6265.0), 1985-2013.
Labour Force Experience (6206.0), 1968-2011.
Career Experience (6254.0), 1993-2002.
Retrenchment and Redundancy (6266.0), 1997-2001.
Successful and Unsuccessful Job Search Experience (6245.0), 1982-2000.
Persons Who Had Re-entered The Labour Force (6264.0), 1985-1995.
Persons Who Have Left The Labour Force (6267.0), 1985-1994.
Labour Turnover (6210.0), 1949-1976.

* Note: Catalogue number 6226.0 was previously used for School Leavers, 1970 to 1974: their Employment Status and Education Experience, May 1975.

Methodology

Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia methodology, February 2023

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Microdata and TableBuilder

We can provide access to detailed, customisable data on selected topics

View available Microdata and TableBuilder

APA

Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia

APA

Key statistics

Topics

Microdata and Tablebuilder

Data downloads

How to use tables

Potential workers

Table 1. Potential workers and discouraged job seekers

Table 2. Characteristics of discouraged job seekers and other potential workers

Table 3. Duration since last job and main activity of discouraged job seekers and other potential workers

Table 4. Main reason for not actively looking for work of persons who wanted to work and were available

Table 4a. Reasons did not actively look for work

Table 5. Job search experience of unemployed persons

Table 6. Characteristics of successful and unsuccessful job search experience (updated 5 July 2023)

Table 7. Number of job offers while looking for work

Table 8. Main difficulty and duration of job search of unemployed persons

Table 9. Main difficulty in finding work by age of unemployed persons

Relative standard errors, Tables 1 to 9

Job mobility

Table 1. Labour mobility, retrenchments and duration of employment

Table 2. Retrenchments and other reasons for ceasing a job last year

Table 3. Changes in employment characteristics of people employed last year

Table 4. Separations and other changes in employment of people employed last year by industry

Table 5. Engagements and other changes in employment of people employed last year by industry

Table 6. Separations and other changes in employment of people employed last year by occupation

Table 7. Engagements and other changes in employment of people employed last year by occupation

Relative standard errors, Tables 1 to 7

Underemployed workers

Table 1. Cyclical and structural underemployment of full-time and part-time workers

Table 2. Extended measures of underutilisation

Table 3. Underemployment status of full-time and part-time workers

Table 4. Part-time workers who prefer more hours

Table 5. Characteristics of part-time workers who prefer more hours

Table 6. Duration of insufficient hours of underemployed part-time workers

Table 7. Number of extra weekly hours preferred by underemployed part-time workers (updated 5 July 2023)

Table 8. Main difficulty in finding more work of underemployed part-time workers

Relative standard errors, Tables 2 to 8

Microdata and TableBuilder

Table 1. Populations

Relative standard errors, Table 1

Participation, Job Search and Mobility data item list, 2015 to 2023

Post release changes

Previous catalogue number

Methodology

Media releases

Job mobility still at 10-year high

Do you need more detailed statistics?

Request data

Microdata and TableBuilder