Insights into hours worked, November 2022

Released
15/12/2022

The ABS will continue to monitor changes in hours worked and provide additional analysis when relevant.

Key findings

Hours worked decreased by 8.5 million hours (0.4 per cent) in seasonally adjusted terms between October and November 2022, and employment increased by 64,000 people (0.5 per cent). Some of the slowing in hours worked reflected the measure coming off the back of a 2.4 per cent increase in October, and also a higher than usual number of people working fewer hours because they were sick. 

Chart 1 shows that despite the volatility in recent years, both the hours worked series and employment series have recovered above their pre-pandemic levels, with hours increasing 7.6 per cent and employment increasing 6.0 per cent since March 2020.

Source: Labour Force, Australia Tables 1 and 19

Chart 2 shows the proportion of employed people working fewer hours than usual for the four selected reasons in November. The proportion of people working fewer hours due to own illness or injury or sick leave was 0.6 percentage points higher than previous Novembers before the start of the pandemic.

Source: Labour Force, Australia Data Cube EM2a and Table 1

People working fewer hours than usual due to their own illness or injury or sick leave

Chart 3 shows the number of people working fewer hours due to illness increased by 50,400 people to 520,600 people, between October and November 2022. The number of people working fewer hours because they were sick was 32.8 per cent higher than we usually see in November before the pandemic.

Source: Labour Force, Australia Data Cube EM2a

Chart 4 shows the proportion of employed people working fewer hours due to illness in each state and territory.

Source:  Labour Force, Australia Data Cube EM2b and Table 12

People working fewer hours than usual due to annual leave, flextime or long service leave

Chart 5 shows the number of people working fewer hours due to annual leave, flextime or long service leave decreased by 642,900 people to 1,331,800 people, between October and November 2022, which is a usual downward pattern following the spring school holidays. The proportion of employed people taking annual leave in November 2022 was 9.6 per cent, slightly below the pre-pandemic average of 10.0 per cent.

Source:  Labour Force, Australia Data Cube EM2a

People who worked fewer hours due to annual leave decreased in all states and territories in November 2022, apart from Victoria, where it increased. Chart 6 shows the proportion of employed people who worked fewer hours due to annual leave. The impact of the Melbourne Cup public holiday, which occurs in early November, is evident in Victoria.

Source:  Labour Force, Australia Data Cube EM2b and Table 12

People working fewer hours than usual due to bad weather or plant breakdown

Chart 7 shows people working fewer hours due to bad weather or plant breakdown decreased by 53,500 people in November 2022 to 49,700 people. Previous increases from multiple flooding events in 2022 are also evident.

Source:  Labour Force, Australia Data Cube EM2a

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