LABOUR FORCE STATISTICS – August 2002

Key Results

Seasonally Adjusted

/

Trend

August 2002 / Change / August 2002 / Change
Employment (‘000, mthly) / 957.2 / 0.2% / 957.7 / 0.0%
Employment growth (3 mthly) / - / 0.6% / - / 0.4%
Unemployment rate / 6.6% / 0.6ppts / 6.2% / 0.1ppts

Comment

In August 2002, the number of employed persons increased by 0.2%, or 1,900 people. Fulltime employment rose by 1.2% after decreasing over the previous two months, but this was partly offset bya1.9% decrease in part-time employment. Theparticipation rate increased by 0.4percentage points, resulting in a 0.6 percentage points increase in theunemployment rate to 6.6% in August 2002.

Monthly labour force data are, however, quite volatile, and three-monthly data provide a better indication of conditions in the labour market. In the three months to August 2002, employment increased by0.6%(6,133people). However, the gain in employment was exactly offset by an increase intheparticipation rate, which increased by 0.1percentage points to 66.4% over the three months toAugust, leaving the unemployment rate unchanged.

Nationally, employment grew 0.4% over the three months to August 2002. The largest increase was inTasmania, up 0.9%, closely followed by a 0.8% increase in New South Wales, and a 0.6% increase inQueensland (onpar with Western Australia), while employment in Victoria only grew by 0.1% and decreased 0.4% in South Australia.

Australia’s unemployment rate was 6.2% in August 2002, unchanged relative to July. Over thethreemonths to August, the national unemployment rate was also unchanged at 6.3%.

The ANZ Job Ads Series survey suggests more positive conditions in the Western Australian labour market in coming months. In the three months to August, job ads in Western Australia increased by1.7%, while trend job ads increased by 1.1% over the same period, and have increased every month since June 2001.

DETAIL

Employment

Employment in Western Australia increased by 0.2% in August 2002, and by 0.6% over the three months to August.

Over the three months to August 2002:

  • full-time employment decreased by 1.0% (6,633 people) to663,000 people; and
  • part-time employment increased by 4.5% (12,767 people) to 295,900 people.

In annual average terms, employment grew by 1.3% in Western Australia over the year to August2002, marginally below the national average of 1.4%.

Nationally, employment rose by 0.4% in the three months to August 2002. Fulltime employment decreased 0.3% over the period, while part-time employment grew by a strong 2.2%.

8 august 2002

For further information on these or related statistics please Rasmus Moerch on 9222 9912 or e-mail at

Note: The labour force statistics are derived from a sample survey and monthly variations should be interpreted with caution. All data are seasonally adjusted unless otherwise stated.

Employment
August Number
‘000s / 3 months to August Change
% / Annual change*
%
NSW / 3,119.7 / 0.8 / 1.0
Vic / 2,372.4 / 0.1 / 1.3
Qld / 1,765.4 / 0.6 / 2.3
WA / 957.2 / 0.6 / 1.3
SA / 688.9 / -0.4 / 1.6
Tas / 200.0 / 0.9 / -0.7
Aust. / 9,378.0 / 0.4 / 1.4

* 12 months to date on same period last year.

12 September 2002

For further information on these or related statistics please contact Rasmus Moerch on 9222 9912 or e-mail at

Note: The labour force statistics are derived from a sample survey and monthly variations should be interpreted with caution. All data are seasonally adjusted unless otherwise stated.

Unemployment

The relatively large increase in the unemployment rate in WesternAustralia from 6.0% inJuly2002 to6.6% in August (despite the small gain in employment) was due to a 0.4 percentage points increase in the participation rate.

The Western Australian participation rate of 66.5% is by far the highest rate of all States and compares with the national rate of 63.8% in August 2002.

In trend terms, the unemployment rate in Western Australia increased by 0.1 percentage points to6.2% in August2002, which is substantially below the trend unemployment rate of 7.1% recorded in August 2001.

Nationally, the unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.2% in August 2002 with employment growth being offset by an increase in the participation rate.

Unemployment Rate
August
2002
% / July
2002
% / August
2001
%
NSW / 5.3 / 6.2 / 5.9
Vic / 6.0 / 5.3 / 6.3
Qld / 7.2 / 7.2 / 8.2
WA / 6.6 / 6.0 / 6.9
SA / 6.7 / 6.5 / 7.3
Tas / 8.2 / 9.5 / 9.5
Aust. / 6.2 / 6.2 / 6.8

Youth Unemployment

Western Australia’s youth unemployment rate rose to 24.8% in August 2002, an increase of 5.4percentage points compared to the previous month. The monthly youth unemployment data can be extremely volatile and is not seasonally adjusted, so care should be taken when interpreting the monthly data.

Western Australia’s youth unemployment rate compares with the national youth unemployment rate of 20.9% in August 2002, and averaged 21.6% over the 12months to August compared with thenational average of 23.6%.