1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2007  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/01/2007   
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Contents >> Labour >> Persons not in the labour force

PERSONS NOT IN THE LABOUR FORCE

Persons not in the labour force represent that group of the population who, during the reference week of the LFS, are neither employed nor unemployed (see diagram 6.2). Interest in this group centres primarily on their potential to participate in the labour force.

There were 5.5 million people aged 15 years and over not in the labour force at September 2005 (table 6.36). Some 15% of people outside the labour force (840,300) were marginally attached to the labour force. These people wanted to work and were either actively looking for work but were not available to start work in the reference week, or were available to start work (within four weeks) but were not actively looking for work. Of people not in the labour force, the proportion of women who were marginally attached (17%) was higher than that for men (13%). Of the marginally attached, 10% of men were actively looking for work compared with 7% of women.

In September 2005 there were 63,100 discouraged jobseekers. Discouraged jobseekers are people who are marginally attached to the labour force, want to work and are available to start work, but are not actively looking for work as they believe they will not find a job for labour market related reasons. Of men who were marginally attached to the labour force, 9% were discouraged jobseekers, compared with 7% of women. Less than 1% of all people aged 70 years and over had marginal attachment to the labour force.

6.36 LABOUR FORCE STATUS(a) - September 2005

Males
Females
Persons
'000
'000
'000

Civilian population aged 15 years and over
7,908.3
8,115.2
16,023.5
Persons in the labour force
5,805.3
4,764.7
10,570.0
Employed
5,510.2
4,514.9
10,025.0
Unemployed
295.1
249.9
545.0
Persons not in the labour force
2,103.0
3,350.5
5,453.5
With marginal attachment to the labour force
273.8
566.5
840.3
Wanted to work and were actively looking for work
28.3
40.9
69.2
Were available to start work within four weeks
21.3
29.7
51.0
Were not available to start work within four weeks
7.0
11.1
18.1
Wanted to work but were not actively looking for work and were available to start work within four weeks
245.4
525.7
771.1
Discouraged jobseekers
25.0
38.2
63.1
Other
220.5
487.5
708.0
Without marginal attachment to the labour force
1,829.2
2,784.0
4,613.2
Wanted to work but were not actively looking for work and were not available to start work within four weeks
100.0
225.0
325.0
Did not want to work
1,579.1
2,458.4
4,037.5
Permanently unable to work
150.1
100.5
250.7

(a) Civilian population aged 15 years and over.
Source: Persons Not in the Labour Force, Australia, September 2005 (6220.0).



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