LABOUR FORCE


CONTENTS

Employed persons

Unemployment

Participation rate


EMPLOYED PERSONS

Following a period of growth, the total number of persons employed in South Australia has been relatively stable over the last four months. The January 2011 estimate of 813,900 persons employed is 0.9% above the estimate recorded in January 2010 (806,700). Nationally, a total of 11,442,800 persons were employed in January 2011; an increase of 3.2% over the corresponding month of the previous year.

The number of males employed full-time in South Australia fell marginally from 362,800 in December 2010 to 362,300 (in trend terms) in January 2011. Similarly, the number of females employed full-time fell for the third consecutive month, down slightly to 187,800. The January 2011 estimate of the number of females employed full-time was 2.5% higher than the corresponding month of the previous year.

Looking at the composition of all male employees, those working full-time accounted for 82.9% of the male workforce in January 2011, up from 81.0% in January 2010. In comparison, full-time female employees accounted for 49.8% of the female workforce in January 2011, marginally higher than at the same time last year (49.7%).


UNEMPLOYMENT

South Australia's trend unemployment rate has shown little movement since September 2010, holding steady at 5.5% in January 2011. The estimate remains above the national unemployment rate for the ninth consecutive month. The Australian unemployment rate for January 2011 also remained steady at 5.1%.

From a low of 5.1% in early 2010, the trend unemployment rate for South Australian males has generally risen, but in January 2011 the estimate fell marginally to 5.5%. Over the same period the trend unemployment rate for South Australian females has fluctuated, increasing to 5.6% in January 2011. This latest increase pushes the female unemployment rate above the male rate for the first time in eight months.

Nationally, the trend unemployment rate for males remained steady at 4.8%, while the female unemployment rate fell to 5.4%.

PARTICIPATION RATE

The trend estimate of the participation rate for South Australia has shown some upward and downward movement over recent months, but held steady at 63.4% between December 2010 and January 2011. Australia's trend participation rate continued its upward movement to be 66.0% in January 2011.

From a high of 70.3% in December 2009 and early 2010, the South Australian participation rate for males has shown some fluctuation over recent months falling to 69.4% in January 2011. Over the same period, the Australian participation rate for males has generally risen and was 72.9% in January 2011. The participation rate for South Australian females has trended upward since early 2010, holding steady at 57.6% in January 2011. The Australian female participation rate remained unchanged at 59.2% in January 2011.

*IMPACT OF THE FLOODS

Please refer to the article Impact of the floods on the Labour Force Survey in Labour Force, Australia, Jan 2011 (cat. no. 6202.0).