6202.0 - Labour Force, Australia, Sep 2019 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 17/10/2019   
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STANDARD ERRORS

The estimates in this publication are based on information gained from the occupants of a sample survey of dwellings. Because the entire population is not surveyed, the published original, seasonally adjusted and trend estimates are subject to sampling error. The most common way of quantifying such sampling error is to calculate the standard error for the published estimate or statistic. For more information, see paragraphs 25 to 27 of the Explanatory Notes.


LEVEL ESTIMATES

To illustrate, let us say the published level estimate for employed people aged 15-19 years is 700,000 and the associated standard error is 9,000. The standard error is then used to interpret the level estimate of 700,000. For instance, the standard error of 9,000 indicates that:

  • There are approximately two chances in three that the real value falls within the range 691,000 to 709,000 (700,000 + or - 9,000)
  • There are approximately nineteen chances in twenty that the real value falls within the range 682,000 to 718,000 (700,000 + or - 18,000).

The real value in this case is the result we would obtain if we could enumerate the total population.

The following table shows the standard errors for this month's level estimates.


AUSTRALIA
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
MALES
FEMALES
PEOPLE
Aged 15 years and over
Employed
Full time
('000)
26.4
19.7
17.7
7.5
11.2
2.9
2.3
2.9
32.6
24.9
39.7
Part time
('000)
19.4
13.3
12.6
5.8
8.5
2.4
0.8
2.2
14.8
22.7
28.2
Total
('000)
28.8
24.3
20.4
8.8
12.4
3.5
2.8
3.1
35.9
34.2
45.1
Unemployed
Looking for f/t
('000)
8.4
6.9
8.5
3.1
4.6
1.1
1.1
0.9
11.7
9.1
15.0
Looking for only p/t
('000)
5.4
5.6
5.5
2.0
3.1
0.7
0.3
0.6
6.6
7.6
10.1
Total
('000)
10.2
9.0
9.6
3.6
5.6
1.4
1.2
1.1
13.6
12.0
18.3
Labour force
('000)
29.1
24.9
20.9
8.9
12.5
3.5
2.9
3.1
36.7
35.0
45.7
Not in labour force
('000)
24.4
21.9
22.8
8.3
12.0
3.6
3.1
3.1
31.7
36.0
42.6
Unemployment rate
Looking for f/t
pts
0.3
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.5
0.7
1.0
0.5
0.2
0.3
0.2
Looking for only p/t
pts
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.6
0.7
0.7
0.9
0.8
0.5
0.3
0.2
Total
pts
0.2
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.4
0.5
0.8
0.5
0.2
0.2
0.1
Participation rate
pts
0.4
0.5
0.5
0.6
0.6
0.8
1.5
0.9
0.4
0.3
0.2
Aged 15-19 years
Employed
Full time
('000)
4.0
2.0
2.7
1.0
1.5
0.4
0.1
0.4
4.7
3.8
5.5
Part time
('000)
5.9
3.7
4.2
1.8
2.4
0.8
0.2
0.8
6.4
7.2
9.3
Total
('000)
6.9
4.1
5.0
2.0
2.7
0.8
0.2
0.9
7.5
7.8
10.5
Unemployed
Looking for f/t
('000)
2.9
1.5
2.9
0.8
1.5
0.3
0.3
0.3
3.8
2.8
4.7
Looking for only p/t
('000)
3.2
3.2
3.7
1.3
2.0
0.3
0.1
0.4
4.7
4.2
6.3
Total
('000)
4.4
3.5
4.9
1.6
2.5
0.5
0.3
0.5
6.0
5.1
7.9
Labour force
('000)
7.5
4.4
5.6
2.2
3.1
0.9
0.3
0.9
8.3
8.3
11.5
Not in labour force
('000)
9.3
6.2
7.7
2.8
4.4
1.1
0.7
1.2
10.7
9.9
15.0
Unemployment rate
Looking for f/t
pts
3.8
4.6
4.9
6.4
7.0
9.4
13.7
12.7
2.8
3.8
2.2
Looking for only p/t
pts
1.7
2.0
2.6
2.9
3.3
2.4
2.1
3.2
1.7
1.2
1.0
Total
pts
1.7
1.8
2.4
2.7
3.1
2.6
4.5
3.3
1.5
1.2
1.0
Participation rate
pts
1.6
1.2
1.8
2.2
2.0
2.9
1.8
3.7
1.1
1.1
0.8
Unemployment to population ratio - looking for f/t
pts
0.6
0.4
0.9
0.8
1.0
1.0
2.0
1.1
0.5
0.4
0.3


MOVEMENT ESTIMATES

The following example illustrates how to use the standard error to interpret a movement estimate. Let us say that one month the published level estimate for females employed part-time in Australia is 1,890,000; the next month the published level estimate is 1,900,000 and the associated standard error for the movement estimate is 11,900. The standard error is then used to interpret the published movement estimate of 10,000. For instance, the standard error of 11,900 indicates that:
  • There are approximately two chances in three that the real movement between the two months falls within the range - 1,900 to 21,900 (10,000 + or - 11,900)
  • There are approximately nineteen chances in twenty that the real movement falls within the range - 13,800 to 33,800 (10,000 + or - 23,800).

The following table shows the standard errors for this month's movement estimates.

        AUSTRALIA
        NSW
        VIC
        QLD
        SA
        WA
        TAS
        NT
        ACT
        MALES
        FEMALES
        PEOPLE
        Aged 15 years and over
        Employed
        Full time
        ('000)
        15.8
        13.0
        9.7
        3.9
        6.5
        1.7
        1.8
        1.9
        19.0
        14.5
        24.6
        Part time
        ('000)
        10.4
        9.0
        6.2
        2.9
        4.5
        1.4
        0.9
        1.2
        9.2
        13.4
        16.3
        Total
        ('000)
        19.1
        16.1
        13.8
        5.8
        8.6
        2.3
        2.0
        2.3
        21.3
        20.1
        30.6
        Unemployed
        Looking for f/t
        ('000)
        8.6
        7.3
        8.0
        3.4
        4.9
        1.1
        0.9
        1.2
        11.7
        9.6
        15.2
        Looking for only p/t
        ('000)
        5.6
        5.6
        4.8
        2.4
        3.3
        0.8
        0.5
        0.7
        6.6
        7.7
        10.2
        Total
        ('000)
        10.4
        9.2
        9.5
        4.2
        5.8
        1.4
        1.0
        1.3
        13.5
        12.4
        18.5
        Labour force
        ('000)
        19.6
        16.5
        14.7
        6.3
        9.0
        2.3
        2.1
        2.3
        22.0
        20.6
        31.5
        Not in labour force
        ('000)
        18.1
        15.8
        14.3
        5.9
        8.9
        2.2
        2.1
        2.5
        18.5
        22.2
        30.1
        Unemployment rate
        Looking for f/t
        pts
        0.3
        0.3
        0.5
        0.6
        0.5
        0.7
        0.9
        0.6
        0.2
        0.3
        0.2
        Looking for only p/t
        pts
        0.4
        0.5
        0.7
        0.7
        0.7
        0.8
        1.2
        0.9
        0.5
        0.3
        0.2
        Total
        pts
        0.2
        0.3
        0.4
        0.4
        0.4
        0.5
        0.8
        0.5
        0.2
        0.2
        0.1
        Participation rate
        pts
        0.3
        0.3
        0.4
        0.4
        0.4
        0.5
        1.1
        0.7
        0.2
        0.2
        0.2
        Aged 15-19 years
        Employed
        Full time
        ('000)
        2.6
        1.9
        1.8
        0.7
        1.1
        0.3
        0.3
        0.3
        3.4
        2.7
        3.9
        Part time
        ('000)
        4.1
        3.4
        2.7
        1.3
        1.8
        0.6
        0.4
        0.6
        4.4
        4.9
        6.2
        Total
        ('000)
        4.6
        3.7
        3.0
        1.4
        2.0
        0.6
        0.4
        0.6
        5.1
        5.2
        6.9
        Unemployed
        Looking for f/t
        ('000)
        3.0
        1.8
        2.9
        0.9
        1.8
        0.3
        0.3
        0.4
        3.8
        3.1
        4.9
        Looking for only p/t
        ('000)
        3.3
        3.2
        3.3
        1.5
        2.2
        0.4
        0.2
        0.5
        4.7
        4.2
        6.3
        Total
        ('000)
        4.6
        3.6
        4.3
        1.8
        2.9
        0.5
        0.4
        0.6
        6.0
        5.2
        7.9
        Labour force
        ('000)
        4.9
        3.9
        3.3
        1.5
        2.2
        0.6
        0.5
        0.6
        5.5
        5.6
        7.4
        Not in labour force
        ('000)
        5.8
        5.1
        3.8
        1.8
        2.8
        0.7
        0.9
        0.7
        6.9
        6.6
        9.2
        Unemployment rate
        Looking for f/t
        pts
        4.0
        4.8
        5.2
        7.6
        8.1
        10.1
        12.7
        16.9
        2.9
        4.4
        2.4
        Looking for only p/t
        pts
        1.8
        2.0
        2.8
        3.3
        3.5
        2.8
        4.1
        3.8
        1.8
        1.3
        1.1
        Total
        pts
        1.7
        1.9
        2.6
        3.1
        3.3
        2.9
        4.5
        4.1
        1.5
        1.3
        1.0
        Participation rate
        pts
        1.0
        1.0
        1.0
        1.4
        1.4
        2.0
        3.2
        2.6
        0.7
        0.8
        0.5
        Unemployment to population ratio - looking for f/t
        pts
        0.6
        0.5
        0.9
        0.9
        1.2
        0.9
        2.2
        1.5
        0.5
        0.4
        0.3