6266.0 - Retrenchment and Redundancy, Australia, Jul 2001  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 02/08/2002   
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MEDIA RELEASE

August 2, 2002
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
101/2002
More back in work after retrenchment

Two in three (67%) people retrenched in the previous three years were employed in July 2001, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This is an increase on the 55% in employment at July 1997 following retrenchment in the three years prior.

The Retrenchment and Redundancy survey also found:
  • At July 2001, 17% (99,100) of people who were retrenched in the three years prior were unemployed, compared to 29% (200,500) of the people retrenched in the three years prior to July 1997.
  • The total number of people retrenched has fallen from 685,400 in the three years prior to July 1997 to 596,400 in the three years prior to July 2001.

The industries that recorded the lowest proportions of retrenchment, relative to the number of employees at May 2001, were education (1.5%) and health and community services (3.2%). Those with the highest were mining (25%), communication services (19%), and construction (16%).

The occupations that recorded the lowest proportions of retrenchment, relative to the number of employees at May 2001, were professionals (5%), associate professionals (6%), and advanced clerical and service workers (6%). Those with the highest were tradespersons and related workers (12%), labourers and related workers (12%), and intermediate production and transport workers (10%).

Workers retrenched from the mining industry were more likely than workers retrenched from any other industry to be in employment at July 2001 (80% at July 2001), followed by workers retrenched from property and business services (73%), wholesale trade, government administration and defence, education, and heath and community services (all 72%).

Further details can be found in Retrenchment and Redundancy, Australia, July 2001 (cat. no. 6266.0).