6202.0 - Labour Force, Australia, Aug 2013 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 12/09/2013   
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MEDIA RELEASE
12 September 2013
Embargo: 11:30 am (Canberra Time)
162/2013
Australia's unemployment rate increased to 5.8 per cent in August 2013


Australia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased 0.1 percentage points to 5.8 per cent in August, as announced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.

The ABS reported the number of people employed decreased by 10,800 to 11,637,100 in August. The decrease in employment was due to decreased part-time employment, down 8,200 to 3,508,300 and full-time employment, down 2,600 people to 8,128,800. The decrease in total employment was mainly driven by a decrease in male full-time employment and a decrease in female part-time employment.

The number of people unemployed increased by 9,400 people to 714,100 in August, the ABS reported.

The ABS monthly seasonally adjusted aggregate hours worked series showed an increase in August, up 1.1 million hours to 1,650.0 million hours.

The ABS reported a seasonally adjusted labour force participation rate decrease of 0.1 percentage points to 65.0 per cent in August.

The seasonally adjusted underemployment rate was 7.8 per cent in August 2013. Combined with the unemployment rate of 5.8 per cent, the latest seasonally adjusted estimate of total labour force underutilisation was 13.7 per cent in August.

More details are in the August 2013 issue of Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0), as well as the upcoming August 2013 issues of Labour Force, Australia, Detailed (cat. no. 6291.0.55.001) and Labour Force, Australia, Quarterly (cat. no. 6291.0.55.003), due for release next week on September 19. These publications are available for free download (after release) from the ABS website - www.abs.gov.au.


Media note:
When reporting ABS data, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or ABS) must be attributed as the source.