6209.0 - Labour Mobility, Australia, February 2013 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 21/08/2013  Final
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NOTE: This is the final issue of 6209.0 - Labour Mobility, Australia, February 2013. This information is now available in Participation, Job Search and Mobility (cat. no. 6226.0)

More information regarding changes to the supplementary survey programme can be found in Information paper: Outcomes of the Labour Household Surveys Content Review, 2012 (cat. no. 6107.0), or contact labourforce@abs.gov.au

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS


OVERVIEW

The Labour Mobility Survey found an estimated 12.5 million people aged 15 years and over had worked at some time during the year ending February 2013. Of these, 92% were employed at February 2013, 3% were unemployed and a further 5% were not in the labour force (Table 10).


PEOPLE WORKING AT FEBRUARY 2013

There were 11.5 million people aged 15 years and over who were working at February 2013. Of these, 9% (1.1 million people) had changed their employer/business in the last 12 months (Table 1).


Duration with employer/business

There were 2.1 million people working at February 2013 who had worked for their employer/business for less than 12 months. This included 1.1 million people who had changed employer/business and a further 1 million who had not changed their employer because they either were not working 12 months ago, or they were multiple jobholders, temporary or seasonal workers who worked for less than 12 months during the year in their current main job and did not change their employer/business. There were 9.4 million people who had been working for the same employer/business for one year or more (Table 1).

Persons working at February 2013, Duration with current employer/business-By State or territory of usual residence
Graph: Graph Persons working at February 2013, Duration with current employerbusinessBy state or territory of usual residence


The Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland had the highest proportions of people who had worked for their current employer/business for less than 12 months (23%, 21% and 20%, respectively). Tasmania had the highest proportion of people who had worked for their current employer/business long-term, with 30% having worked for their employer for 10 years or more, and 14% having worked for their current employer/business for 20 years or more (Table 2). Men in Western Australia and the Northern Territory (both 21%), and women in Western Australia (18%) were least likely to have worked for their current employer/business for 10 years or more (Table 2).

Persons working at February 2013, Duration with current employer/business-By occupation
Graph: Graph Persons working at February 2013, Duration with current employerbusinessBy occupation


Of those working at February 2013, the following occupation groups had the highest proportion of people who had worked with their current employer/business for 10 years or more:
  • Managers (38%);
  • Professionals (29%); and
  • Clerical and administrative workers (28%) (Table 4).

People working in these occupations were also least likely to have worked for their current employer/business for less than 12 months. Occupation groups with the highest proportion of people who had worked with their current employer/business for less than 12 months were:
  • Sales workers; Labourers; and Community and personal service workers (all 25%); and
  • Machinery operators and drivers (21%) (Table 4).
Persons working at February 2013, Duration with current employer/business-By industry
Graph: Graph Persons working at February 2013, Duration with current employerbusinessBy industry


There were 2.9 million people who were working at February 2013 who had been with their current employer/business for 10 years or more. This represented 27% of men and 23% of women who were working at February 2013. The industry Divisions with the highest proportion of people who had been with their current employer/business for 10 years or more were:
  • Agriculture, forestry and fishing (53%);
  • Public administration and safety (37%); and
  • Education and training (37%) (Table 5).

In contrast, the industries with the highest proportion of people who had been with their employer for less than 12 months were Accommodation and food services (32%); and Administrative and support services (27%).


Working at February 2013 and have been with current employer/business for less than 12 months

The 2.1 million people working at February 2013 who had worked for their current employer/business for less than 12 months, were more likely to be:
  • younger, 62% were aged 15-34 years (compared to 39% for all persons working at February 2013) (Table 7);
  • employed as Labourers (14% compared to 10%) (Table 6);
  • working in Accommodation and food services (12% compared to 7%) (Table 6);
  • usually working 1-19 hours per week (22% compared to 14%) (Table 6); and
  • not holding a non-school qualification (42% compared to 37%) (Table 7).

Of the 2.1 million people working at February 2013 who had worked for their current employer/business for less than 12 months, 1.1 million people changed employer/business in the last 12 months. In addition to changing their employer/business:
  • 57% had also changed industry Division;
  • 43% had changed Major occupation group;
  • 72% had changed usual hours worked (Table 3).


Working at February 2013 and have worked for their current employer/business for one year or more

There were 9.4 million people working at February 2013 who had been with their main employer/business for one year or more. The majority of this group (70%) usually worked 35 or more hours per week. Over a third had not completed a non-school qualification (35%), but two-fifths had completed either a Bachelor Degree (21%) or a Certificate III or VI (19%) as their highest non-school qualification (Tables 6 and 7). The occupations with the highest proportion of people who had worked for their employer/business for one year or more were Managers (89%); and Professionals (86%), while the industries with the highest proportion were Public administration and safety (89%); and Agriculture, forestry and fishing (88%).

Of those people working at February 2013, who had worked for their current employer/business for one year or more, 7.6 million (81%) were employees excluding owner managers of incorporated enterprises (OMIEs), and of these, over four fifths (82%) had paid leave entitlements. This compares with those who had been with their employer for less than 12 months who were more likely to be employees (92%), but they were less likely to have leave entitlements (55%). There were 1.8 million owner managers and contributing family workers, who at February 2013, had been working in their business for one year or more. Of these, 66% were men (Table 6).

Employees excluding owner managers of incorporated enterprises (OMIEs) who had a change in work

Of the 7.6 million employees excluding OMIEs working at February 2013, who had worked for their current employer for one year or more, 52% were men and 48% were women. Almost one quarter (22%) of these people had experienced some change in work in the last 12 months (Table 6), with 2% changing Major occupation group, 11% changing their usual hours worked, and 14% being promoted and/or transferred (Table 3).

For men, the age group with the highest proportion of employees who reported a change in work were those aged 20-24 years (28%), while for women it was those aged 25-34 years (31%) (Table 7).

Employees (a) working at February 2013 who had worked for their current employer for one year or more, Proportion who had some change in work-By occupation
Graph: Graph Employees (excluding OMIEs) working at February 2013 who had worked for their current employer for one year or more, Proportion who had some change in workBy occupation


The most common occupation groups who had worked for their employer for 12 months or more reporting a change in work were Professionals (25% for men and 28% for women), and Managers (24% for men and 29% for women) (Table 6). The occupation groups with the lowest proportion of employees excluding OMIEs who reported a change in work were Machinery operators and drivers (14% for both men and women); and Labourers (14% for men and 15% for women).

For men, of the industry Divisions that could be reported (see chart below), the highest proportion of employees excluding OMIEs who had some change in work in the last 12 months was Accommodation and food services (26%), while for women the highest proportion of employees with some change in work were in the Information media and telecommunications (32%); and Public administration and safety (31%) industry Divisions. Male employees working in the Agriculture, forestry and fishing; and Arts and recreation services industries were least likely to report a change in work in the last 12 months (12% and 14%, respectively). The industry Divisions with the lowest proportion of women reporting some change in work were Wholesale trade; and Agriculture, forestry and fishing (both 16%).

Employees (a) who had worked for their current employer for one year or more, Proportion who had some change in work in the last 12 months-By industry(b)
Graph: Graph Employees (excluding OMIEs) working at February 2013 who had worked for their current employer for one year or more, Proportion who had some change in workBy industry



PEOPLE WHO CEASED A JOB DURING THE YEAR

Approximately 2 million people ceased a job during the 12 months to February 2013. This represented 16% of those who worked at some time during the year. Six in 10 of these people (61%) left their last job for voluntary reasons, and the remaining 39% left their last job involuntarily (Table 11).

Persons who ceased a job during the year, Number, and proportion of those who worked at some time during the year-By sex - February 2008 to February 2013

2008
2010
2012
2013
'000
%
'000
%
'000
%
'000
%

Males
1 029.3
16.8
930.3
14.7
1 091.0
16.5
1 044.6
15.6
Females
1 020.5
19.6
922.8
17.0
1 048.3
18.4
976.2
16.9
Persons
2 049.8
18.1
1 853.1
15.7
2 139.4
17.4
2 020.9
16.2



The proportion of people who had ceased a job during the year to February 2013 had decreased one percentage point from 2012.

Of those people who voluntarily left a job during the year, 32% had been working in that job for less than 12 months. For these people, the most common reason for ceasing their job was unsatisfactory work conditions (31% for both men and women). In addition, 31% of men also left to obtain a better job or conditions. For people whose previous job duration was one year or more, the most common reason for leaving was to obtain a better job or conditions, or wanted a change (34%). A further 25% left to retire, start a new business or other reasons. This pattern was less pronounced for females, who were also likely to leave a job for family reasons (27%), compared to males who were less likely to leave for family reasons (10%). Of those people whose previous job duration was 10 years or over, the most common reason for ceasing that job was to retire, start a new business, or other reasons (60%) (Table 11).

Almost half (47%) of people who involuntarily left a job during the year had been working in that job for less than 12 months, with their most common reason for leaving being that the job was temporary or seasonal (58%). People who involuntarily left a job that they had been working in for one year or more were most likely to have left that job due to being retrenched or their employer going out of business (56%) (Table 11).

Over half of the people who ceased a job in the last 12 months were working at February 2013 (52%) (Table 12).