MEDIA RELEASE
18 January 2011	Embargoed: 11.30 am (Canberra time)	5/2011

The percentage of long-term unemployed people (unemployed for one year or more) rose from 16% in July 2009 to 18% in July 2010, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

For long-term unemployed people the most common main difficulty in finding a job was 'too many applicants for available jobs' (14%), followed by 'too far to travel/transport problems' (13%) and 'own health or disability' (13%).

However, the majority (82%) of unemployed people are short-term unemployed (unemployed for less than one year), with one in four having been unemployed for less than four weeks.

Of those unemployed for under eight weeks, 20% reported 'no difficulties at all' in finding new work and the most common main difficulty reported was 'too many applicants for available jobs' (13%).

For young people aged 15-24 years the main difficulty in finding work was 'insufficient work experience' (17%), while for those aged 45 years and over it was 'considered too old by employers' (17%).

Of all unemployed people, 21% had never worked before, and 17% had worked, but not in the last two years.

Further information is available in Job Search Experience, Australia, July 2010 (cat. no. 6222.0).

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