6226.0 - Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia, February 2015 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 21/06/2016  First Issue
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KEY FINDINGS

PARTICIPATION POTENTIAL

In February 2015, the Participation, Job Search and Mobility (PJSM) Survey estimated that of the civilian population aged 15 years and over 6.3 million persons were not in the labour force, 835,900 were unemployed and 11.7 million persons were employed.

Of the 6.3 million persons not in the labour force:

  • 3.7 million (59%) were females;
  • 1.3 million wanted to work (23% of females and 18% of males); and
  • 15% were aged 15–24 years, 40% were aged 25–64 years and 45% were aged 65 years and over. (Table 15)

Of the 835,900 unemployed persons:
  • 444,600 (53%) were males;
  • 217,200 persons had been looking for work for 1 year or more; and
  • 21% were aged 25-34. (Table 22)

Of the 11.7 million employed persons:
  • 10.6 million (91%) were fully employed; and
  • 1 million were underemployed. (Table 40)

Of the 1 million underemployed workers:
  • 960,700 persons usually worked part-time, but would prefer more hours and were available to start work with more hours either in the reference week, or in the four weeks following the interview; and
  • 75,100 usually worked full-time, but worked part-time hours in the reference week due to economic reasons (for example no work or not enough work available, been stood down). (Tables 2 to 4)

JOB SEARCH

Of the 835,900 unemployed persons who looked for work in the reference period:
  • 53% were males and 47% females;
  • 57% looked for both full-time and part-time work;
  • 12% looked for full-time work only; and
  • 31% looked for part-time work only. (Table 22)

There were 2.1 million job starters (employed persons who had started their current job in the previous 12 months). Of these job starters:
  • 371,700 looked at advertisements for jobs on the internet, in a newspaper or on noticeboards;
  • 321,000 wrote, phoned or applied in person to an employer for work; and
  • 277,400 answered an advertisement for a job on the internet, in a newspaper or on noticeboards. (Table 28)

LABOUR MOBILITY

Of the 2.1 million persons working at February 2015 who had worked for their current employer/business for less than 12 months, 923,700 persons changed employer/business in the last 12 months. In addition to changing their employer/business:
  • 57% changed industry Division;
  • 47% changed Major occupation group; and
  • 72% changed their usual weekly hours worked. (Table 30 & 32)

There were 9.6 million persons working at February 2015 who had been with their current employer/business for more than one year. Of these persons:
  • 80% were employees of whom 6.3 million had paid leave entitlements;
  • 69% usually worked 35 or more hours per week;
  • 24% were professionals; and
  • 13% worked in the Health care and social assistance industry Division. (Table 32 & 34)