6202.0.30.005 - Labour Force Survey and Labour Mobility, Australia: Basic Confidentialised Unit Record File, Technical Manual, Feb 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 11/05/2007  First Issue
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

GLOSSARY

Ceased a job


Left a job voluntarily or lost a job involuntarily.

Leaving a job voluntarily includes leaving a job 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, or left for family or other reasons.

Losing a job involuntarily includes leaving a job 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.


Change in employer/business


People who were employed at February 2006 and, within the 12 months to February 2006, 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


Any change between industry Divisions as classified by the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 1993 (cat. no. 1292.0).


Change in occupation


Any change between Major occupation groups as classified by the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations, Second Edition (ASCO), 1997 (cat. no. 1220.0). Note that for the item Whether changed occupation with current employer in the last 12 months (any change) a change in occupation can be any change in occupation whether within or between Major occupation groups.


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 (OMIEs) were considered to have had some change in work if they had been with their current employer for one year or more at February 2006 and, in the 12 months to February 2006, 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.


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 current employer/business


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


Duration with employer/business at February 2006


See 'Duration with current employer/business'.


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 or 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 2006


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 OMIEs)
      • with paid leave entitlements
      • without paid leave entitlements
  • Owner managers of incorporated enterprises
  • Owner managers of unincorporated enterprises
  • Contributing family workers.


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.


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 Postgraduate 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 United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Canada, the United States of America and New Zealand.


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 2006


See 'Not Employed'.


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 worked in their own incorporated or unincorporated enterprise.


Owner managers of incorporated enterprises


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


Employees (excluding OMIEs), who were entitled to both paid sick leave and paid holiday leave; or were entitled to either paid sick leave or paid holiday leave (but not both). People employed in their own business or who were contributing family workers were not asked about their paid leave entitlements.


Without paid leave entitlements


Employees (excluding OMIEs), who were entitled to neither paid sick leave nor paid holiday leave.


Worked at some time during the year ending February 2006


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 2006.


Working at February 2005


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 2005.


Working at February 2006


See 'Employed'.