The ABS will continue to monitor changes in hours worked and provide additional analysis when relevant.
Insights into hours worked, March 2022
Released
14/04/2022
Released
14/04/2022 11:30am AEST
Hours worked decreased by 0.6% (in seasonally adjusted terms) between February and March 2022, while employment increased by 0.1%. Throughout the pandemic, the hours worked series shows larger short-term changes than in the employed series, given that employees may be away from paid work for a short period without losing their job.
Chart 1 shows that after the fall in March 2022, hours worked remained 1.0% below the level reached in December 2021 and 0.8% below the pre-Delta COVID variant high of May 2021.
| Hours (March 2020 Index) | Employed (March 2020 Index) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan-20 | 100.5 | 99.9 |
| Feb-20 | 100.4 | 100.0 |
| Mar-20 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Apr-20 | 90.4 | 95.4 |
| May-20 | 91.1 | 93.4 |
| Jun-20 | 94.6 | 95.2 |
| Jul-20 | 95.3 | 96.0 |
| Aug-20 | 95.6 | 97.2 |
| Sep-20 | 95.8 | 96.8 |
| Oct-20 | 98.2 | 98.0 |
| Nov-20 | 99.4 | 98.7 |
| Dec-20 | 99.4 | 99.0 |
| Jan-21 | 94.5 | 99.2 |
| Feb-21 | 99.9 | 99.9 |
| Mar-21 | 102.2 | 100.4 |
| Apr-21 | 101.5 | 100.2 |
| May-21 | 102.9 | 101.1 |
| Jun-21 | 101.1 | 101.3 |
| Jul-21 | 100.8 | 101.3 |
| Aug-21 | 97.1 | 100.2 |
| Sep-21 | 97.9 | 99.1 |
| Oct-21 | 97.8 | 98.7 |
| Nov-21 | 102.2 | 101.5 |
| Dec-21 | 103.2 | 102.1 |
| Jan-22 | 94.3 | 102.3 |
| Feb-22 | 102.7 | 102.9 |
| Mar-22 | 102.2 | 103.0 |
Chart 1: Hours worked and employment index, Seasonally adjusted (March 2020 = 100.0)
["","Hours","Employed"]
[["Jan-20","Feb-20","Mar-20","Apr-20","May-20","Jun-20","Jul-20","Aug-20","Sep-20","Oct-20","Nov-20","Dec-20","Jan-21","Feb-21","Mar-21","Apr-21","May-21","Jun-21","Jul-21","Aug-21","Sep-21","Oct-21","Nov-21","Dec-21","Jan-22","Feb-22","Mar-22"],[[100.5],[100.4],[100],[90.4],[91.1],[94.6],[95.3],[95.6],[95.8],[98.2],[99.4],[99.4],[94.5],[99.9],[102.2],[101.5],[102.9],[101.1],[100.8],[97.1],[97.9],[97.8],[102.2],[103.2],[94.3],[102.7],[102.2]],[[99.9],[100],[100],[95.4],[93.4],[95.2],[96],[97.2],[96.8],[98],[98.7],[99],[99.2],[99.9],[100.4],[100.2],[101.1],[101.3],[101.3],[100.2],[99.1],[98.7],[101.5],[102.1],[102.3],[102.9],[103]]]
[]
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People working fewer hours due to bad weather or plant breakdown
Chart 2 shows a large increase in people working fewer hours due to bad weather or plant breakdown in March 2022 as floods affected New South Wales and Queensland.
| Worked fewer hours than usual ('000) | |
|---|---|
| Jul-14 | 42.1 |
| Aug-14 | 33.9 |
| Sep-14 | 44.3 |
| Oct-14 | 12.4 |
| Nov-14 | 10.7 |
| Dec-14 | 31.6 |
| Jan-15 | 38.2 |
| Feb-15 | 39.6 |
| Mar-15 | 30.2 |
| Apr-15 | 36.7 |
| May-15 | 42.9 |
| Jun-15 | 28.5 |
| Jul-15 | 32.8 |
| Aug-15 | 37.2 |
| Sep-15 | 25.9 |
| Oct-15 | 11.5 |
| Nov-15 | 50.2 |
| Dec-15 | 16.5 |
| Jan-16 | 49.6 |
| Feb-16 | 34.9 |
| Mar-16 | 30.6 |
| Apr-16 | 22.8 |
| May-16 | 31.0 |
| Jun-16 | 79.2 |
| Jul-16 | 97.7 |
| Aug-16 | 52.7 |
| Sep-16 | 54.5 |
| Oct-16 | 38.0 |
| Nov-16 | 17.2 |
| Dec-16 | 21.3 |
| Jan-17 | 19.9 |
| Feb-17 | 51.4 |
| Mar-17 | 45.6 |
| Apr-17 | 44.8 |
| May-17 | 17.7 |
| Jun-17 | 46.5 |
| Jul-17 | 34.7 |
| Aug-17 | 46.2 |
| Sep-17 | 27.1 |
| Oct-17 | 30.5 |
| Nov-17 | 23.2 |
| Dec-17 | 56.8 |
| Jan-18 | 19.2 |
| Feb-18 | 23.7 |
| Mar-18 | 53.8 |
| Apr-18 | 13.0 |
| May-18 | 29.1 |
| Jun-18 | 59.2 |
| Jul-18 | 47.0 |
| Aug-18 | 39.3 |
| Sep-18 | 32.6 |
| Oct-18 | 63.8 |
| Nov-18 | 23.1 |
| Dec-18 | 52.0 |
| Jan-19 | 35.0 |
| Feb-19 | 33.1 |
| Mar-19 | 32.8 |
| Apr-19 | 29.8 |
| May-19 | 42.1 |
| Jun-19 | 68.6 |
| Jul-19 | 64.3 |
| Aug-19 | 53.7 |
| Sep-19 | 36.7 |
| Oct-19 | 21.1 |
| Nov-19 | 38.0 |
| Dec-19 | 33.4 |
| Jan-20 | 41.5 |
| Feb-20 | 134.0 |
| Mar-20 | 89.6 |
| Apr-20 | 49.7 |
| May-20 | 36.4 |
| Jun-20 | 37.4 |
| Jul-20 | 41.9 |
| Aug-20 | 66.3 |
| Sep-20 | 25.7 |
| Oct-20 | 36.1 |
| Nov-20 | 38.5 |
| Dec-20 | 29.7 |
| Jan-21 | 48.1 |
| Feb-21 | 41.9 |
| Mar-21 | 46.5 |
| Apr-21 | 50.7 |
| May-21 | 49.0 |
| Jun-21 | 64.1 |
| Jul-21 | 73.6 |
| Aug-21 | 29.0 |
| Sep-21 | 29.1 |
| Oct-21 | 44.9 |
| Nov-21 | 70.6 |
| Dec-21 | 73.5 |
| Jan-22 | 32.4 |
| Feb-22 | 49.2 |
| Mar-22 | 504.1 |
Chart 2: Employed people working fewer hours than usual due to bad weather or plant breakdown, Original
["","Worked fewer hours than usual"]
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[]
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People working fewer hours due to their own illness, personal injury or sick leave
Chart 3 shows an elevated number of people working fewer hours due to the continuing disruption from the omicron variant.
| Worked fewer hours than usual | |
|---|---|
| Mar-16 | 374.3 |
| Apr-16 | 390.0 |
| May-16 | 423.0 |
| Jun-16 | 459.5 |
| Jul-16 | 413.8 |
| Aug-16 | 492.3 |
| Sep-16 | 505.5 |
| Oct-16 | 345.0 |
| Nov-16 | 372.2 |
| Dec-16 | 380.1 |
| Jan-17 | 211.3 |
| Feb-17 | 350.3 |
| Mar-17 | 386.8 |
| Apr-17 | 309.9 |
| May-17 | 394.4 |
| Jun-17 | 412.8 |
| Jul-17 | 436.5 |
| Aug-17 | 571.4 |
| Sep-17 | 537.1 |
| Oct-17 | 383.2 |
| Nov-17 | 394.8 |
| Dec-17 | 393.5 |
| Jan-18 | 207.0 |
| Feb-18 | 405.1 |
| Mar-18 | 419.9 |
| Apr-18 | 315.2 |
| May-18 | 424.8 |
| Jun-18 | 429.8 |
| Jul-18 | 436.1 |
| Aug-18 | 512.6 |
| Sep-18 | 487.7 |
| Oct-18 | 346.1 |
| Nov-18 | 401.6 |
| Dec-18 | 399.0 |
| Jan-19 | 302.8 |
| Feb-19 | 406.5 |
| Mar-19 | 400.1 |
| Apr-19 | 436.8 |
| May-19 | 450.0 |
| Jun-19 | 499.5 |
| Jul-19 | 512.2 |
| Aug-19 | 538.5 |
| Sep-19 | 509.6 |
| Oct-19 | 377.8 |
| Nov-19 | 433.2 |
| Dec-19 | 434.7 |
| Jan-20 | 327.1 |
| Feb-20 | 430.9 |
| Mar-20 | 492.4 |
| Apr-20 | 308.7 |
| May-20 | 283.1 |
| Jun-20 | 338.8 |
| Jul-20 | 407.6 |
| Aug-20 | 440.0 |
| Sep-20 | 401.7 |
| Oct-20 | 360.9 |
| Nov-20 | 405.3 |
| Dec-20 | 423.1 |
| Jan-21 | 267.3 |
| Feb-21 | 389.1 |
| Mar-21 | 438.8 |
| Apr-21 | 388.3 |
| May-21 | 485.4 |
| Jun-21 | 525.2 |
| Jul-21 | 439.2 |
| Aug-21 | 450.3 |
| Sep-21 | 453.7 |
| Oct-21 | 375.8 |
| Nov-21 | 430.5 |
| Dec-21 | 440.7 |
| Jan-22 | 745.8 |
| Feb-22 | 590.0 |
| Mar-22 | 577.3 |
Chart 3: Employed people working fewer hours due to their own illness, personal injury or sick leave, Original
["","Worked fewer hours than usual"]
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[]
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People working fewer hours due to economic and other reasons
Chart 4 shows the number of people working fewer hours for economic and other reasons is now below pre-pandemic levels.
| Worked fewer hours than usual | |
|---|---|
| Mar-16 | 491.2 |
| Apr-16 | 502.9 |
| May-16 | 532.7 |
| Jun-16 | 535.2 |
| Jul-16 | 504.5 |
| Aug-16 | 483.9 |
| Sep-16 | 492.6 |
| Oct-16 | 595.7 |
| Nov-16 | 497.5 |
| Dec-16 | 451.3 |
| Jan-17 | 608.2 |
| Feb-17 | 552.0 |
| Mar-17 | 533.0 |
| Apr-17 | 494.0 |
| May-17 | 556.5 |
| Jun-17 | 554.6 |
| Jul-17 | 518.0 |
| Aug-17 | 501.5 |
| Sep-17 | 479.2 |
| Oct-17 | 625.3 |
| Nov-17 | 455.2 |
| Dec-17 | 473.5 |
| Jan-18 | 614.3 |
| Feb-18 | 580.5 |
| Mar-18 | 541.9 |
| Apr-18 | 752.7 |
| May-18 | 533.5 |
| Jun-18 | 552.2 |
| Jul-18 | 493.8 |
| Aug-18 | 489.2 |
| Sep-18 | 481.4 |
| Oct-18 | 651.8 |
| Nov-18 | 514.2 |
| Dec-18 | 502.6 |
| Jan-19 | 606.3 |
| Feb-19 | 557.5 |
| Mar-19 | 568.0 |
| Apr-19 | 524.8 |
| May-19 | 586.6 |
| Jun-19 | 620.9 |
| Jul-19 | 587.2 |
| Aug-19 | 593.5 |
| Sep-19 | 539.0 |
| Oct-19 | 637.9 |
| Nov-19 | 562.6 |
| Dec-19 | 561.4 |
| Jan-20 | 670.7 |
| Feb-20 | 603.1 |
| Mar-20 | 774.1 |
| Apr-20 | 2,734.3 |
| May-20 | 2,376.0 |
| Jun-20 | 1,760.8 |
| Jul-20 | 1,355.3 |
| Aug-20 | 1,439.2 |
| Sep-20 | 1,304.2 |
| Oct-20 | 1,247.3 |
| Nov-20 | 940.9 |
| Dec-20 | 726.8 |
| Jan-21 | 757.3 |
| Feb-21 | 924.6 |
| Mar-21 | 666.0 |
| Apr-21 | 905.5 |
| May-21 | 676.0 |
| Jun-21 | 1,005.5 |
| Jul-21 | 1,223.4 |
| Aug-21 | 1,839.2 |
| Sep-21 | 1,625.5 |
| Oct-21 | 1,519.1 |
| Nov-21 | 836.8 |
| Dec-21 | 660.9 |
| Jan-22 | 878.6 |
| Feb-22 | 754.4 |
| Mar-22 | 645.9 |
Chart 4: No work, not enough work available or stood down and worked fewer hours than usual for other reasons, Original
["","Worked fewer hours than usual"]
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[]
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