GLOSSARY

Ceased a job

Left a job voluntarily (see 'Job leavers') or involuntarily (see 'Job losers').

Change in employer/business

People who were employed at February 2008 and, within the 12 months to February 2008, ceased working with one employer/business and started working with another employer/business in relation to their main job.

Change in employment type

Any change in employment type in relation to main job.

Change in industry Division

Any change between industry Divisions as classified by the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), Second Edition, 2006 (cat. no. 1292.0).

Change in industry Subdivision

Any change between industry Subdivisions as classified by the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), Second Edition, 2006 (cat. no. 1292.0).

Change in Major occupation group

Any change between Major occupation groups as classified by the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, (ANZSCO), First Edition, 2006 (cat. no. 1220.0).

Change in Minor occupation group

Any change between Minor occupation groups as classified by the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, (ANZSCO), First Edition, 2006 (cat. no. 1220.0).

Change in usual hours

Any change in the number of usual hours worked in relation to main job.

Change in work

Employees (excluding owner managers of incorporated enterprises) were considered to have had some change in work if they had been with their current employer for one year or more at February 2008 and reported that, in the 12 months to February 2008, they had:

• been promoted
• transferred to a different position
• changed usual hours worked; or
• changed occupation.

Contributing family workers

People who work without pay, in an economic enterprise operated by a relative.

Current employer/business

Refers to the employer/business which the person had in the week before the interview. Where the person had more than one employer/business, the employer/business for which most hours were usually worked, was regarded as the current employer/business.

Did not change employer/business

For this publication, mainly refers to people who were employed at February 2008 for less than 12 months, and did not work with a different employer/business in the previous 12 months. People who were working at February 2008 for one year or more could also be considered to have not changed employer/business, but are not included in data items in this survey.

Different employment type

See 'Change in employment type'.

Different industry

See 'Change in industry'.

Different occupation

See 'Change in occupation'.

Different usual hours worked

See 'Change in usual hours'.

Duration of last job

The period from the commencement of the last job up to the time the person ceased working in that job.

Duration with employer/business at February 2008

The period between the commencement with the current employer/business and the week before the interview.

Employed

People aged 15 years and over who, during the reference week:

• worked for one hour or more for pay, profit, commission or payment in kind, in a job or business or on a farm (comprising employees, employers and own account workers); or
• worked for one hour or more without pay in a family business or on a farm (i.e. contributing family workers); or
• were employees who had a job but were not at work and were:
  • away from work for less than four weeks up to the end of the reference week; or
  • away from work for more than four weeks up to the end of the reference week and received pay for some or all of the four week period to the end of the reference week; or
  • away from work as a standard work or shift arrangement; or
  • on strike or locked out; or
  • on workers' compensation and expected to return to their job; or
• were employers or own account workers who had a job, business of farm, but were not at work.

Employees

People who work for a public or private employer and receive remuneration in wages, salary, a retainer fee from their employer while working on a commission basis, tips, piece rates, or payment in kind, or people who operate their own incorporated enterprise with or without hiring employees.

Employer/business at February 2008

See 'Current employer/business'.

Employers

People who operate their own unincorporated economic enterprise or engage independently in a profession or trade, and hire one or more employees.

Employment type

Classifies employed people according to the following categories on the basis of their main job (that is, the job in which they usually worked the most hours):

• Employees (excluding owner managers of incorporated enterprises)
  • with paid leave entitlements
  • without paid leave entitlements
• Owner managers of incorporated enterprises
• Owner managers of unincorporated enterprises
• Contributing family workers.

Industry

An industry is a group of businesses or organisations that undertake similar economic activities to produce both goods and services. In this publication, industry refers to ANZSIC Division as classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), Second Edition, 2006 (cat. no. 1292.0).

Job leavers

People who ceased a job voluntarily, because:

• of unsatisfactory work arrangements/pay/hours; or
• the job was seasonal, temporary or a holiday job and they left that job to return to studies; or
• they retired, started a new business, got a better job, left for family reasons.

Job losers

People who ceased a job involuntarily, because:

• they were retrenched or their business closed down because of financial difficulties; or
• the job was seasonal, temporary or a holiday job and they did not leave that job to return to studies; or
• they left their job because of their own ill health or injury.

Last job

The last job in which employment ceased during the reference period.

Level of highest educational attainment

Level of highest educational attainment identifies the highest achievement a person has attained in any area of study. It is not a measurement of the relative importance of different fields of study but a ranking of qualifications and other educational attainments regardless of the particular area of study or the type of institution in which the study was undertaken. See Appendix 1 for an explanation of how highest level is derived.

Level of highest non-school qualification

Non-school qualifications are awarded for educational attainments other than those of pre-primary, primary or secondary education. They include qualifications at the Post Graduate Degree level, Master Degree level, Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate level, Bachelor Degree level, Advanced Diploma and Diploma level, and Certificates I, II, III and IV levels. Non-school qualifications may be attained concurrently with school qualifications.

Main English-speaking countries

The list of main English-speaking countries provided here is not an attempt to classify countries on the basis of whether or not English is the predominant or official language of each country. It is a list of the main countries from which Australia receives, or has received, significant numbers of overseas settlers who are likely to speak English. These countries comprise the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and the United States of America.

Main job

The job in which the most hours were usually worked.

Not employed

People who were either 'unemployed' or 'not in the labour force' as defined.

Not in the labour force

People who were not in the categories ‘employed’ or ‘unemployed’ as defined.

Not working at February 2008

See 'Not Employed'.

Occupation

An occupation is a collection of jobs that are sufficiently similar in their title and tasks, skill level and skill specialisation which are grouped together for the purposes of classification. In this publication occupation refers to Major Group as defined by ANZSCO - Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, First Edition, 2006 (cat.no.1220.0).

Own account workers

People who operated their own unincorporated economic enterprise or engaged independently in a profession or trade, and hired no employees.

Owner managers

People who work in their own business, with or without employees, whether or not the business is an incorporated enterprise. Comprises owner managers of incorporated enterprises and owner managers of unincorporated enterprises.

Owner managers of incorporated enterprises (OMIE)

People who worked in their own incorporated enterprise, that is, a business entity which is registered as a separate legal entity to its members or owners (also known as a limited liability company). These people are classified as employees under 'status in employment'.

Owner managers of unincorporated enterprises

People who operated their own unincorporated enterprise, that is, a business entity in which the owner and the business are legally inseparable, so that the owner is liable for any business debts that are incurred. Includes those engaged independently in a trade or profession. These people are classified as employers under 'status in employment' if their business has employees, or own account workers if it does not.

Previous job

See 'Last job'.

Promoted

A permanent increase in wage or salary and an increase in responsibility or complexity of work. Temporary promotions, acting and temporary higher duties are excluded.

Reference period

The 52 weeks up to the end of the week prior to interview.

Reference week

The week preceding the week in which the interview was conducted.

Retrenched

People who ceased their last job because they were either:

• employees who were laid off, including no work available, made redundant, employer went out of business or dismissed; and
• self employed people whose business closed down for economic reasons, including 'went broke', liquidated, no work, or no supply or demand.

Status in employment

Employed people classified by whether they were employees, employers, own account workers, or contributing family workers.

Transferred

A change of position without a change in either the level of responsibility or wages or salary. Both employer-initiated and employee-initiated transfers are included.

Unemployed

People aged 15 years and over who were not employed during the reference week, and:

• had actively looked for full-time or part-time work at any time in the four weeks up to the end of the reference week and were available for work in the reference week, or
• were waiting to start a new job within four weeks from the end of the reference week, and could have started in the reference week if the job had been available then.

Usual hours worked

The number of hours usually worked.

With paid leave entitlements

The entitlement of employees (excluding OMIEs) to either paid holiday leave or paid sick leave (or both) in their current job. People employed in their own business or who were contributing family workers were not asked questions about paid leave entitlements.

Without paid leave entitlements

Employees (excluding OMIEs) who were not entitled to paid holiday leave and paid sick leave, or did not know whether they were entitled to paid sick leave and paid holiday leave in their current job.

Worked at some time during the year ending February 2008

For practical reasons it was not possible to include all of the questions from the Labour Force Survey for previous periods. People who were either currently employed, or reported having worked for an employer or in their own business at some time in the previous year, were defined as having worked at some time during the year ending February 2008.

Working at February 2007

For practical reasons it was not possible to include all of the questions from the Labour Force Survey for previous periods. Therefore, people who reported that they had a job or business one year ago were defined as working at February 2007.

Working at February 2008

See 'Employed'.