6292.0 - Information Paper: Forthcoming Changes to Labour Force Statistics, May 2015  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 28/05/2015   
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CHANGES TO LABOUR FORCE OUTPUTS

This note is essential for all clients who rely on the Labour Force spreadsheets and data cubes.

Commencing with the May 2015 issues (released in June 2015) of Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0), the detailed monthly publication (cat. no. 6291.0.55.001) and the detailed quarterly publication (cat. no. 6291.0.55.003), the ABS will start publishing data as indicated in this information paper.

The May 2015 issues will present data in new spreadsheets and data cubes according to the formats presented in the blank templates attached to this information paper.

Attached to this information paper are data, as released in the April 2015 issues, in new format spreadsheets and data cubes for Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0). All spreadsheets apart from 22 and 23 were added on 28 May with spreadsheets 22 and 23 added on 4 June 2015. The ABS is still in the process of verifying information in the new format for data cube GM1, and so this has not been included in today's release. A further update of this information paper will be released on June 9 2015 to include data cube GM1.

The release of the new format spreadsheets and data cubes with data as at April 2015 will allow users to fully test systems and become familiar with the new outputs before the official first release with the May 2015 issues (released in June 2015). Clients who rely on the Labour Force spreadsheets and data cubes are encouraged to use the templates to ensure that their processes can continue to access the correct data once the new outputs are implemented.

While the format of the outputs has changed, the data attached to this information paper is the same as that released in the April 2015 issue of Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0), when rounded to the nearest person, other than the spreadsheet tables containing underutilisation data (tables 22 and 23). While testing these tables it was discovered that a small group of seasonal workers were incorrectly counted as underemployed, and therefore also as underutilised. The ending of a seasonal workers contracts (e.g. fruit pickers) because the relevant season has concluded is not considered an economic reason and therefore should not be included as underemployed. The revision impacts only the three quarters since the introduction of the new questionnaire for the July issue in 2014 with August 2014 underemployment revised down 5,500 persons in original terms, November 2014 underemployment revised down 1,100 persons in original terms and February 2015 underemployment revised down 3,800 persons in original terms.

Monthly underutilisation (original series only until 2017) will be included from the August 2015 issue of Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0). In addition, the following new items are currently planned for release in the August 2015 issue of the detailed quarterly publication (cat. no. 6291.0.55.003):

    • Educational attainment
    • Educational attendance for the whole civilian population
    • Volume measures of labour underutilisation
    • Leave entitlements
    • Retrenchment
    • Sector of employment (public/ private).
The new outputs result from a review conducted in 2010-11 of the labour household survey program. The outcomes of the review were announced in 2012 but implementation has been delayed while priority was given to investigations into recent Labour Force results, the annual seasonal reanalysis and comprehensive testing of the system producing the new outputs.

The front cover and commentary of the Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0) pdf will not change with the May 2015 issue but the pdf tables will reflect changes made to the spreadsheets. In particular, the Labour Force Status 15 years and over - States and Territories (pdf Table 12) will be pdf Table 4 and will include Seasonally Adjusted (except for the Territories) and Trend estimates and an employment to population ratio. It will no longer include:
    • a male/female split
    • unemployed looking for full-time work
    • unemployment rate looking for full-time work
    • employed part-time
    • not in the labour force
    • civilian population 15 years and over.
In addition, the format and content of most tables will change for example:
    • pdf Tables 1 to 3 will now include an Employment to population ratio but will no longer include Unemployment rate - looking for full-time work
    • pdf Tables 13 to 16 will now include Employed part-time and Unemployed looking for part-time work but will no longer include Unemployment rate- looking for full-time work or Unemployment to population ratio - looking for full-time work
    • Aggregate monthly hours (pdf tables 18 & 19) will now be called Monthly hours worked in all jobs
    • pdf Table 17 (Gross Flows) will now include Unmatched civilian population 15 years and over and Total civilian population.
The ABS recommends that users of the 6202.0 Labour Force, Australia pdf should take extra care until experienced with the new format. For further details around changes to tables in the pdf refer to the timetable attached to this information paper.