GLOSSARY
Actively looking for work
Includes writing, telephoning or applying in person to an employer for work; answering an advertisement for a job; checking factory noticeboards or the touchscreens at the Centrelink offices; being registered with Centrelink as a jobseeker; checking or registering with any other employment agency; advertising or tendering for work; and contacting friends or relatives.
Attending full-time education
Persons aged 15-24 years enrolled at secondary or high school or enrolled as a full-time student at a Technical and Further Education (TAFE) college, university, or other educational institution in the reference week.
Attending school
Persons aged 15-19 years enrolled at secondary or high school in the reference week.
Attending tertiary educational institution full time
Persons aged 15-24 years enrolled full time at a TAFE college, university, or other educational institution in the reference week, except those persons aged 15-19 years who were still attending school.
Civilian population aged 15 years and over
All usual residents of Australia aged 15 years and over except members of the permanent defence forces, certain diplomatic personnel of overseas governments customarily excluded from census and estimated population counts, overseas residents in Australia, and members of non-Australian defence forces (and their dependants) stationed in Australia.
Composite Estimation
The estimation methodology used in the Labour Force Survey. Composite Estimation uses sample responses from nearby months as well as from the reference month to derive estimates for the reference month. This approach achieves gains in efficiency by exploiting the high similarity between the responses provided by the same respondent in previous months. For details see Information Paper: Forthcoming Changes to Labour Force Statistics, 2007 (cat. no. 6292.0).
Employed
All persons aged 15 years and over who, during the reference week:
- worked for one hour or more for pay, profit, commission or payment in kind in a job or business, or on a farm (comprising employees, employers and own account workers); or
- worked for one hour or more without pay in a family business or on a farm (i.e. contributing family workers); or
- were employees who had a job but were not at work and were:
- away from work for less than four weeks up to the end of the reference week; or
- away from work for more than four weeks up to the end of the reference week and received pay for some or all of the four week period to the end of the reference week; or
- away from work as a standard work or shift arrangement; or
- on strike or locked out; or
- on workers' compensation and expected to return to their job; or
- were employers or own account workers, who had a job, business or farm, but were not at work.
Employment to population ratio
For any group, the number of employed persons expressed as a percentage of the civilian population in the same group.
Full-time workers
Employed persons who usually worked 35 hours or more a week (in all jobs) and those who, although usually working less than 35 hours a week, worked 35 hours or more during the reference week.
Labour force
For any group, persons who were employed or unemployed, as defined.
Labour force status
A classification of the civilian population aged 15 years and over into employed, unemployed or not in the labour force, as defined. The definitions conform closely to the international standard definitions adopted by the International Conferences of Labour Statisticians.
Not in labour force
Persons who were not in the categories employed or unemployed as defined.
Participation rate
For any group, the labour force expressed as a percentage of the civilian population aged 15 years and over in the same group.
Part-time workers
Employed persons who usually worked less than 35 hours a week (in all jobs) and either did so during the reference week, or were not at work in the reference week.
Response rate
The number of fully responding dwellings expressed as a percentage of the total number of dwellings excluding sample loss. Examples of sample loss include: dwellings where all persons are out of scope and/or coverage; vacant dwellings; dwellings under construction; dwellings converted to non-dwellings; derelict dwellings; and demolished dwellings.
Seasonally adjusted series
A time series of estimates with the estimated effects of normal seasonal variation removed. See Explanatory Notes 25 to 29 for more detail.
Trend series
A smoothed seasonally adjusted series of estimates. See Explanatory Notes 30 to 33 for more detail.
Unemployed
Persons aged 15 years and over who were not employed during the reference week, and:
- had actively looked for full-time or part-time work at any time in the four weeks up to the end of the reference week and were available for work in the reference week; or
- were waiting to start a new job within four weeks from the end of the reference week and could have started in the reference week if the job had been available then.
Unemployed looking for full-time work
Unemployed persons who:
- actively looked for full-time work; or
- were waiting to start a new full-time job.
Unemployed looking for part-time work
Unemployed persons who:
- actively looked for part-time work only; or
- were waiting to start a new part-time job.
Unemployment rate
For any group, the number of unemployed persons expressed as a percentage of the labour force in the same group.
Unemployment to population ratio
For any group, the number of unemployed persons expressed as a percentage of the civilian population in the same group.