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LABOUR STATISTICS NEWS


LABOUR THEME PAGE

The ABS Labour Theme Page, available on the ABS website, provides a guide to the range of ABS statistics on the labour market, as well as links to the latest data released. To find the Theme Page, go to <https://www.abs.gov.au> [Themes - People - Labour].


NEW LABOUR FORCE UNDERUTILISATION TABLES

Following the introduction of the new quarterly labour force underutilisation rate in the July 2008 issue of this publication, the labour underutilisation tables (tables 4.1 to 4.5) have been changed to introduce the new quarterly series. The new quarterly series has a more conceptually correct basis than the previous annual rate, and has provided the opportunity to produce more frequent and timely measures of change in underemployment, and in turn the labour force underutilisation rate. Data on persons not in the labour force, which was previously included in Table 4.5, can now be found in Table 4.6.


IMPROVED FAMILY ESTIMATES FROM THE LABOUR FORCE SURVEY

On 16 October 2008, ABS will publish improved estimates of families from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for the period August 2004 to August 2008, and will publish monthly family estimates thereafter. While estimates of the labour force characteristics of families have been produced from the LFS since 1979, the survey was not specifically designed to produce high quality family estimates. The improved estimates make better use of the data available from the survey, and implement an improved weighting methodology. Together these changes will deliver improved family estimates which are more in line with estimated resident population (ERP) and other ABS collections. The datacubes containing the improved family estimates are to be released in Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families (cat. no. 6224.0.55.001) on 16 October 2008. Details of the improved method have been published in an information paper Improvements to Family Estimates from the Labour Force Survey (cat. no. 6224.0.55.002) on 17 September.

For further information, please contact Carmel O'Regan on 02 6252 6127 or email carmel.oregan@abs.gov.au.


CHANGE TO LFS REFERENCE WEEK

Labour Force Survey information is obtained by specially trained interviewers, using face to face and telephone interview collection methods, from the occupants of selected dwellings. Most information obtained in the LFS relates to the week before the interview, known as the reference week.

The ABS has recently decided to change the start of LFS interviewing from a Monday to a Sunday, in order to increase the likelihood of making contact with households, thereby increasing efficiency. From September 2008, LFS interviewing will begin on the Sunday between the 5th and the 11th of each month, instead of the Monday between the 6th and the 12th.

With the change to the start date of LFS interviewing, the ABS will also change the reference week. Currently, the reference week is the Monday-Sunday before the interview. From September 2008, the reference week will be the Sunday-Saturday before the interview, that is, the reference week will be one day earlier than the current reference week.

ABS has determined that the statistical impact of this change is likely to be very small. There will be no impact on LFS release dates.


RESULTS OF THE LABOUR FORCE SURVEY BASED ON THE REDUCED SAMPLE SIZE

One of the consequences of the ABS budget situation in 2008-09 has been a reduction in the sample size of the Labour Force Survey from July 2008. Results from the Labour Force Survey for July 2008 are based on the reduced sample. For further information about the sample reduction, see the April 2008 issue of Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0).


ABS EMAIL NOTIFICATION SERVICE

By subscribing to this free service, you will be kept informed via email of the latest releases of ABS products. To subscribe, follow the link from the ABS home page <https://www.abs.gov.au>, provide your email address, and select your topics of interest.

Recent and upcoming statistical releases
Release date/title of publication		Reference period	Catalogue number
September 2008
	Australian Economic Indicators	(a)October 2008	1350.0
	Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC)	(a)2006 (Revision 1.0)	1292.0
	Improvements to Family Estimates from the Labour Force Survey	(a)2008	6224.0.55.002
	Industrial Disputes, Australia	June 2008	6321.0.55.001
	Labour Force, Australia	August 2008	6202.0
	Labour Force, Australia, Spreadsheets	August 2008	6202.0.55.001
	Labour Force, Australia - Detailed Delivery, Monthly	August 2008	6291.0.55.001
	Labour Force, Australia - Detailed Delivery, Quarterly	August 2008	6291.0.55.003
	Measures of Australia's Progress: Summary Indicators	(a)2008	1383.0.55.001
	Selected Characteristics of Australian Business	2006-07	8167.0
October 2008
	Australian Economic Indicators	(a)November 2008	1350.0
	Australian Labour Market Statistics	(a)October 2008	6105.0
	Counts of Australian Business Operators	2006-2007	8175.0
	Employment Arrangements, Retirement and Superannuation, Australia	April to July 2007	6361.0
	Employment Arrangements, Retirement and Superannuation, Australia - Confidentialised Unit Record File	April to July 2007	6361.0.55.001
	Employment Arrangements, Retirement and Superannuation, Australia - Confidentialised Unit Record File, User Guide	April to July 2007	6361.0.55.002
	Labour Force, Australia	September 2008	6202.0
	Labour Force, Australia, Spreadsheets	September 2008	6202.0.55.001
	Labour Force, Australia - Detailed Delivery, Monthly	September 2008	6291.0.55.001
	Labour Mobility, Australia	February 2008	6209.0
November 2008
	Australian Economic Indicators	(a)December 2008	1350.0
	Average Weekly Earnings, Australia	August 2008	6302.0
	Education and Work, Australia	May 2008	6227.0
	Labour Force, Australia	October 2008	6202.0
	Labour Force, Australia, Spreadsheets	October 2008	6202.0.55.001
	Labour Force, Australia - Detailed Delivery, Monthly	October 2008	6291.0.55.001
	Labour Force Survey and Labour Mobility, Australia: Basic Confidentialised Unit Record File	February 2008	6202.0.30.004
	Labour Force Survey and Labour Mobility, Australia: Expanded Confidentialised Unit Record File	February 2008	6202.0.30.006
	Labour Force Survey and Labour Mobility, Australia: Basic and Expanded Confidentialised Unit Record Files, Technical Manual	February 2008	6202.0.30.005
	Labour Price Index, Australia	September 2008	6345.0
December 2008
	Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits	Jun 2003 to Jun 2008	8165.0
	Industrial Disputes, Australia	September 2008	6321.0.55.001
	Labour Force, Australia	November 2008	6202.0
	Labour Force, Australia, Spreadsheets	November 2008	6202.0.55.001
	Labour Force, Australia - Detailed Delivery, Monthly	November 2008	6291.0.55.001
	Labour Force, Australia - Detailed Delivery, Quarterly	November 2008	6291.0.55.003
January 2009
	Australian Economic Indicators	(a)January 2009	1350.0
	Australian Economic Indicators	(a)February 2009	1350.0
	Australian Labour Market Statistics	(a)January 2009	6105.0
	Employment and Earnings, Public Sector, Australia	2007-08	6248.0.55.002
	Job Search Experience, Australia	July 2008	6222.0
	Labour Force, Australia	December 2008	6202.0
	Labour Force, Australia, Spreadsheets	December 2008	6202.0.55.001
	Labour Force, Australia - Detailed Delivery, Monthly	December 2008	6291.0.55.001
	Microdata: Multi-Purpose Household Survey, Expanded CURF, Australia, 2007-08	2007-08	4100.0.55.001
	Multi-Purpose Household Survey, Expanded Confidentialised Unit Record File, Technical Manual	2007-08	4100.0
(a) Refers to the issue of the publication, not the reference period.