6250.0 - Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Migrants, Australia, Nov 1999  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 08/09/2000   
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INTRODUCTION

1 The statistics in this publication were compiled from data collected in the Characteristics of Migrants Survey that was conducted throughout Australia in November 1999 as a supplement to the monthly Labour Force Survey (LFS). Respondents to the LFS who fell within the scope of the supplementary survey were asked further questions.

2 The publication Labour Force, Australia (Cat. no. 6203.0) contains information about survey design, sample redesign, scope, coverage and population benchmarks relevant to the monthly LFS, which also apply to supplementary surveys. It also contains definitions of demographic and labour force characteristics, and information about telephone interviewing relevant to both the monthly LFS and supplementary surveys.


SCOPE

3 In addition to those already excluded from the LFS, there were approximately 95,000 persons living in remote and sparsely settled parts of Australia who were out of scope of this survey. The exclusion of these persons has only minor impact on any aggregate estimates that are produced for individual States and Territories, except the Northern Territory. Please contact the person listed on the front cover of this publication if you require more information.

4 Students at boarding schools, patients in hospitals, residents of homes (e.g. retirement homes, homes for the handicapped), and inmates of prisons are further excluded from all supplementary surveys.

5 This survey was restricted to persons who were not born in Australia and who arrived in Australia after 1980, were aged 18 years or more on arrival and had obtained permanent Australian resident status. In this survey, these people are referred to as 'migrants'.


COVERAGE

6 The estimates in this publication relate to persons covered by the survey in November 1999 In the LFS, coverage rules are applied which aim to ensure that each person is associated with only one dwelling and hence has only one chance of selection in the survey. See Labour Force, Australia (Cat. no. 6203.0).


RELIABILITY OF THE ESTIMATES

7 Estimates in this publication are subject to sampling and non-sampling errors.

  • Sampling error is the difference between the published estimate and the value that would have been produced if all dwellings had been included in the survey.
  • Non-sampling errors are inaccuracies that occur because of imperfections in reporting by respondents and interviewers and errors made in coding and processing data. These inaccuracies may occur in any enumeration, whether it be a full count or a sample. Every effort is made to reduce the non-sampling error to a minimum by careful design of questionnaires, intensive training and supervision of interviewers, and efficient processing procedures.


SEASONAL FACTORS

8 The estimates are based on information collected in the survey month and, due to seasonal factors, may not be representative of other months of the year.


CLASSIFICATIONS USED

9 Occupation data are classified according to the second edition of the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations. For a more detailed explanation, see ASCO - Australian Standard Classification of Occupations, Second Edition (cat. no. 1220.0).

10 Industry data are classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), a more detailed description of which appears in Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 1993 (cat. no. 1292.0).

11 Birthplace data are aggregated according to major groups of the Australian Standard Classification of Countries for Social Statistics (ASCCSS) (cat. no. 1269.0). The ASCCSS was developed by the ABS for use whenever demographic, labour and social statistics are classified by countries.

12 The educational attainment data item in this survey has been classified according to the ABS Classification of Qualifications (ABSCQ) (cat. no. 1262.0).


COMPARABILITY OF TIME SERIES

13 Revisions are made to population benchmarks for the LFS after each five-yearly Census of Population and Housing. The last such revision was made in February 1999 to take account of the results of the 1996 Census of Population and Housing. Estimates from supplementary surveys conducted from and including February 1999 are therefore based on revised population benchmarks.

14 Characteristics of Migrants Surveys conducted up to and including November 1996 were restricted to migrants who arrived in Australia after 1970, were aged 18 years or more on arrival and had obtained permanent Australian resident status. For November 1999, the survey was restricted to migrants who arrived in Australia after 1980. See paragraph 5 for further detail.

15 Supplementary surveys are not always conducted on the full LFS sample. Since August 1994 the sample for supplementary surveys has been restricted to no more than seven-eights of the LFS sample. The reduction in sample size means that the standard errors for this survey differ from those applicable to previous surveys.

16 It is impracticable to obtain information relating to labour force status of persons before migration according to the strict definitions used in the monthly LFS. It is for this reason that ‘Had a job’ and ‘Did not have a job’ are used to describe pre-migration labour force status, while employed, unemployed and not in the labour force are used to describe labour force status at November 1999.


COMPARABILITY WITH MONTHLY LFS STATISTICS

17 Due to differences in the scope and sample size of this supplementary survey and that of the monthly LFS, the estimation procedure may lead to variations between labour force estimates from this survey and those from the LFS.


PREVIOUS SURVEYS

18 Results of previous surveys have been published in:
  • Characteristics of Migrants Aged 18 Years and Over at the Time of Arrival and Who Arrived after 1960, Australia, March 1984 (cat. no. 6250.0)
  • Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Migrants, Australia, March 1987, September 1990, September 1993, November 1996 (cat. no. 6250.0)


NEXT SURVEY

19 The ABS plans to conduct this survey again in November 2002.


RELATED PUBLICATIONS

20 Other publications which may be of interest include:
  • Job Search Experience of Unemployed Persons, Australia (cat. no. 6222.0)
  • Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6203.0)
  • Labour Force Experience, Australia (cat. no. 6206.0)
  • Labour Mobility, Australia (cat. no. 6209.0)
  • Successful and Unsuccessful Job Search Experience, Australia (cat. no. 6245.0)


21 Current publications produced by the ABS are listed in the Catalogue of Publications and Products (cat. no. 1101.0). The ABS also issues, on Tuesdays and Fridays, a Release Advice (cat. no. 1105.0) which lists publications to be released in the next few days. The Catalogue and daily Release Advice are available from any ABS office or from the ABS Information Service on this site.