6202.0 - Labour Force, Australia, Aug 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 07/09/2006   
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STANDARD ERRORS

The estimates in this publication are based on information gained from the occupants of a sample survey of dwellings. Because the entire population is not surveyed, the published estimates are subject to sampling error. The most common way of quantifying such sampling error is to calculate the standard error for the published estimate or statistic. For more information, see paragraph 19 of the Explanatory Notes.


LEVEL ESTIMATES

To illustrate, let us say the published level estimate for employed persons aged 15-19 years is 700,000 and the associated standard error is 9,800. The standard error is then used to interpret the level estimate of 700,000. For instance, the standard error of 9,800 indicates that:

  • There are approximately two chances in three that the real value falls within the range 690,200 to 709,800 (700,000 + or - 9,800)
  • There are approximately nineteen chances in twenty that the real value falls within the range 680,400 to 719,600 (700,000 + or - 19,600).

The real value in this case is the result we would obtain if we could enumerate the total population.


The following table shows the standard errors for this month's level estimates.

AUSTRALIA

NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT
Males
Females
Persons

Aged 15 years and over
Employed
Full time '000
21.4
17.1
14.4
6.6
8.6
3.0
4.1
2.2
26.6
18.2
32.4
Part time '000
13.5
11.0
9.8
4.4
5.9
2.0
1.4
1.4
10.0
16.5
20.3
Total '000
24.9
20.1
15.6
7.6
9.5
3.6
5.0
2.3
28.9
26.2
36.9
Unemployed
Looking for f/t work '000
7.8
5.4
4.3
2.1
2.2
1.3
0.8
0.6
8.1
6.4
10.5
Looking for p/t work '000
4.5
3.5
3.0
1.4
1.7
0.5
0.4
0.5
4.0
5.3
6.7
Total '000
9.2
6.6
5.3
2.5
2.8
1.4
0.9
0.8
9.1
8.5
12.8
Labour force '000
25.4
20.5
15.7
7.7
9.6
3.7
5.2
2.3
29.6
26.8
37.5
Not in labour force '000
23.1
17.9
13.3
6.6
9.0
3.3
4.5
2.0
24.3
29.3
34.8
Unemployment rate
Looking for f/t work pts
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.4
0.3
0.8
0.9
0.4
0.2
0.2
0.1
Looking for p/t work pts
0.5
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.5
0.7
1.5
1.0
0.4
0.2
0.2
Total pts
0.3
0.2
0.2
0.3
0.3
0.6
0.8
0.4
0.2
0.2
0.1
Participation rate pts
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.6
0.6
0.9
3.4
0.9
0.4
0.3
0.2
Aged 15-19 years
Employed
Full time '000
3.2
2.4
2.5
1.0
1.6
0.5
0.4
0.4
4.3
3.5
5.2
Part time '000
4.2
3.6
3.4
1.5
1.8
0.6
0.5
0.6
4.9
5.7
7.3
Total '000
5.1
4.2
4.3
1.8
2.5
0.8
0.6
0.7
6.3
6.4
8.9
Unemployed
Looking for f/t work '000
2.8
1.8
1.6
1.0
0.9
0.5
0.3
0.3
2.9
2.7
4.0
Looking for p/t work '000
2.9
2.0
2.0
0.9
1.0
0.4
0.2
0.4
2.9
3.0
4.3
Total '000
4.2
2.7
2.6
1.4
1.4
0.6
0.4
0.5
4.2
4.1
5.9
Labour force '000
5.7
4.5
4.7
2.0
2.7
0.9
0.6
0.7
6.8
6.9
9.7
Not in labour force '000
7.6
5.8
4.1
2.1
2.8
0.9
1.1
0.6
7.6
7.0
11.1
Unemployment rate
Looking for f/t work pts
3.3
3.5
2.3
4.6
2.3
5.2
9.7
5.9
1.6
2.4
1.4
Looking for p/t work pts
1.9
1.5
1.5
2.3
1.8
2.8
5.1
3.0
1.3
1.0
0.8
Total pts
1.7
1.5
1.3
2.2
1.4
2.8
5.7
2.7
1.0
1.0
0.7
Participation rate pts
1.2
1.3
1.7
1.9
1.9
2.7
4.3
3.1
0.9
1.0
0.7
Unemployment to population ratio - looking for f/t work pts
0.6
0.5
0.6
0.9
0.6
1.4
2.2
1.2
0.4
0.4
0.3


MOVEMENT ESTIMATES

The following example illustrates how to use the standard error to interpret a movement estimate. Let us say that one month the published level estimate for females employed part time in Australia is 1,890,000; the next month the published level estimate is 1,900,000 and the associated standard error for the movement estimate is 10,600. The standard error is then used to interpret the published movement estimate of 10,000. For instance, the standard error of 10,600 indicates that:

  • There are approximately two chances in three that the real movement between the two months falls within the range -600 to 20,600 (10,000 + or - 10,600)
  • There are approximately nineteen chances in twenty that the real movement falls within the range -11,200 to 31,200 (10,000 + or - 21,200).

The following table shows the standard errors for this month's movement estimates.

AUSTRALIA

NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT
Males
Females
Persons

Aged 15 years and over
Employed
Full time '000
13.7
10.6
9.2
4.0
5.5
1.7
1.6
1.5
16.9
12.1
21.5
Part time '000
8.4
6.7
5.5
2.5
3.3
1.2
0.8
0.9
7.1
11.0
13.1
Total '000
16.5
12.9
11.8
5.5
7.2
2.3
1.8
1.8
18.5
16.6
26.1
Unemployed
Looking for f/t work '000
7.6
5.5
4.9
2.1
2.3
1.1
0.6
0.6
8.4
6.7
11.0
Looking for p/t work '000
4.5
3.7
3.2
1.4
1.8
0.6
0.4
0.5
4.1
5.5
7.0
Total '000
9.0
6.9
5.9
2.5
2.9
1.3
0.7
0.9
9.5
8.9
13.4
Labour force '000
17.0
13.3
12.3
5.7
7.4
2.5
1.9
1.9
19.0
17.0
26.8
Not in labour force '000
16.1
13.0
10.4
5.0
6.3
2.1
1.7
1.7
14.5
18.7
25.3
Unemployment rate
Looking for f/t work pts
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.4
0.3
0.8
0.9
0.4
0.2
0.3
0.1
Looking for p/t work pts
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.6
0.5
0.8
2.1
1.0
0.4
0.2
0.2
Total pts
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.6
0.9
0.4
0.2
0.2
0.1
Participation rate pts
0.3
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.5
0.6
1.3
0.7
0.2
0.2
0.2
Aged 15-19 years
Employed
Full time '000
2.6
1.8
2.1
0.8
1.3
0.4
0.3
0.3
3.5
2.9
4.1
Part time '000
3.4
2.8
2.6
1.1
1.5
0.5
0.3
0.5
3.9
4.4
5.5
Total '000
4.1
3.2
3.2
1.3
1.9
0.6
0.4
0.5
4.8
4.9
6.6
Unemployed
Looking for f/t work '000
2.9
1.8
2.0
0.9
1.0
0.5
0.3
0.3
3.1
2.8
4.2
Looking for p/t work '000
2.9
2.1
2.1
0.9
1.0
0.4
0.2
0.4
3.1
3.2
4.4
Total '000
4.2
2.7
2.7
1.3
1.4
0.6
0.3
0.5
4.3
4.3
6.2
Labour force '000
4.4
3.4
3.3
1.4
1.9
0.6
0.5
0.5
5.1
5.2
7.0
Not in labour force '000
5.0
3.8
2.9
1.4
1.8
0.6
0.7
0.5
5.5
5.2
7.2
Unemployment rate
Looking for f/t work pts
3.3
3.6
2.5
4.9
2.3
5.2
9.1
5.8
1.7
2.5
1.4
Looking for p/t work pts
1.9
1.6
1.5
2.4
1.8
3.0
6.2
3.1
1.3
1.0
0.8
Total pts
1.7
1.5
1.3
2.3
1.5
2.8
5.6
2.8
1.0
1.0
0.7
Participation rate pts
1.0
1.0
1.2
1.3
1.3
1.9
3.1
2.4
0.7
0.8
0.5
Unemployment to population ratio - looking for f/t work pts
0.6
0.5
0.7
0.9
0.7
1.3
1.8
1.2
0.4
0.4
0.3