SEPTEMBER KEY FIGURES

		Aug 2012	Sep 2012	Aug 12 to Sep 12		Sep 11 to Sep 12
Trend
	Employed persons ('000)	11 507.9	11 506.9	-1.0		0.5	%
	Unemployed persons ('000)	640.1	645.6	5.5		2.9	%
	Unemployment rate (%)	5.3	5.3	0.0	pts	0.1	pts
	Participation rate (%)	65.2	65.2	0.0	pts	-0.4	pts
Seasonally Adjusted
	Employed persons ('000)	11 497.4	11 511.9	14.5		0.5	%
	Unemployed persons ('000)	623.8	662.7	38.8		5.6	%
	Unemployment rate (%)	5.1	5.4	0.3	pts	0.2	pts
	Participation rate (%)	65.0	65.2	0.2	pts	-0.3	pts

Employed Persons

Unemployment Rate

SEPTEMBER KEY POINTS


TREND ESTIMATES (MONTHLY CHANGE)

• Employment decreased to 11,506,900.
• Unemployment increased to 645,600.
• Unemployment rate steady at 5.3%.
• Participation rate steady at 65.2%.
• Aggregate monthly hours worked decreased to 1,621.1 million hours.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED ESTIMATES (MONTHLY CHANGE)

• Employment increased 14,500 (0.1%) to 11,511,900. Full-time employment increased 32,100 to 8,107,000 and part-time employment decreased 17,700 to 3,404,900.
• Unemployment increased 38,800 (6.2%) to 662,700. The number of persons looking for full-time work increased 13,200 to 483,800 and the number of persons looking for part-time work increased 25,700 to 178,900.
• The unemployment rate increased 0.3 pts to 5.4%. The male unemployment rate increased 0.3 pts to 5.6% and the female unemployment rate increased 0.3 pts to 5.3%.
• The participation rate increased 0.2 pts to 65.2%.
• Aggregate monthly hours worked increased 7.6 million hours to 1,627.5 million hours.

NOTES

FORTHCOMING ISSUES

ISSUE	Release Date
October 2012	8 November 2012
November 2012	6 December 2012
December 2012	17 January 2013
January 2013	7 February 2013
February 2013	14 March 2013
March 2013	11 April 2013

REBENCHMARKING OF LABOUR FORCE SERIES

In order to better reflect recent trends in population growth, the ABS will rebenchmark Labour Force estimates in the November 2012 issue, scheduled for release on Thursday 6 December 2012. This rebenchmarking will align the Labour Force population benchmarks with the latest available information on population growth (based on estimated resident population), but will maintain the 2006 Census base for the population benchmarks.

As advised in previous issues of this publication, the Labour Force Survey population benchmarks and the estimates will be revised following the release of the final 2011 Census-based resident population estimates. Further details about the 2011 Census-based rebenchmarked Labour Force estimates will be announced in the November 2012 issue of this publication.


ROUNDING

Estimates of monthly change shown on the front cover have been calculated using unrounded estimates, and may be different from, but are more accurate than, movements obtained from the rounded estimates. The graphs on the front cover also depict unrounded estimates.


SAMPLING ERROR

The estimates in this publication are based on a sample survey. Published estimates and the movements derived from them are subject to sampling variability. Standard errors give a measure of sampling variability (see Standard Errors in the Explanatory Notes). The interval bounded by two standard errors is the 95% confidence interval, which provides a way of looking at the variability inherent in estimates. There is a 95% chance that the true value of the estimate lies within that interval.

MOVEMENTS IN SEASONALLY ADJUSTED SERIES BETWEEN AUGUST 2012 AND SEPTEMBER 2012
	Monthly change	95% Confidence interval
Total Employment	14 500	-40 500	to	69 500
Total Unemployment	38 800	6 200	to	71 400
Unemployment rate	0.3 pts	0.1 pts	to	0.5 pts
Participation rate	0.2 pts	-0.2 pts	to	0.6 pts

INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070, email client.services@abs.gov.au or Labour Force on Canberra (02) 6252 6525, email labourforce@abs.gov.au.