6226.0 - Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia, February 2015 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 21/06/2016  First Issue
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LABOUR MOBILITY

Persons who worked at February 2015, who had been with their current employer/business for less than 12 months, were asked whether they had changed their employer/business in the previous 12 months. Those who had changed employer/business were then asked if they had changed their occupation, or industry, or usual hours worked, between their last and current employer/business.

Those employees who had worked for their current employer for one year or more were asked whether they had been promoted, and/or transferred to a different position, and/or changed occupation, and/or changed usual hours worked in the 12 months to February 2015.

Information was also collected from persons who were not working who ceased a job in the previous 12 months.

The framework below only includes those persons aged 15 years and over who worked at some time during the year ending February 2015. These were classified according to the duration of their employment with their current employer/business.

Diagram: Labour Mobility Conceptual Framework
PERSONS WITH THEIR CURRENT EMPLOYER/BUSINESS FOR LESS THAN 12 MONTHS

There were 2.1 million persons who had been with their current employer for less than 12 months. Of these:

  • 91% were employees of whom 52% had paid leave entitlements;
  • 18% were professionals and 15% were technicians and trade workers;
  • 13% worked in the accommodation and food services industry and 12% worked in the retail trade industry;
  • 44% usually worked less than 35 hours each week; and
  • 43% changed their employer business in the previous 12 months. (Table 33)

Of the 923,700 persons who had changed their employer/business in the last 12 months:
  • 57% had changed their industry Division;
  • 47% changed their major occupation group;
  • 72% changed their usual hours worked; and
  • 35% were aged 25–34. (Table 33)

PERSONS WITH THEIR CURRENT EMPLOYER/BUSINESS FOR ONE YEAR OR MORE

There were 9.6 million persons who had been working for the same employer/business for one year or more. Of these:
  • 24% were professionals and 15% were technicians and trade workers;
  • 13% worked in the healthcare and social assistance industry and 10% worked in the retail trade industry;
  • 69% usually worked more than 34 hours each week; and
  • 81% were employees of which 25% had some change in their work in the previous 12 months. (Table 37)

Of the 7.7 million employees who had been with their current employer for one year or more:
  • 12% had a change in their usual hours worked;
  • 82% had paid leave entitlements;
  • 11% were promoted in the last 12 months;
  • 11% were transferred in the last 12 months; and
  • 24% were aged 25–34 and 23% were aged 35–44. (Table 33)

There were 3.1 million persons who had been with their current employer/business for 10 years or more (1.8 million males and 1.3 million females).

PERSONS WHO CEASED A JOB DURING THE YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 2015

Of those who worked at some time during the year (12.6 million) 15% ceased a job during the year. Over half of these persons (1.1 million) left their last job for voluntary reasons, and the remaining 722,900 left their last job involuntarily.

Of those persons who voluntarily left a job during the year, 30% had been working in that job for less than 12 months. For these persons, the most common reason for ceasing their job was to obtain a better job or conditions/just wanted a change (31%), followed by unsatisfactory work arrangements, pay or hours (27%).

For persons whose previous job duration was one year or more, the most common reason for leaving (34%) was to obtain a better job or conditions/just wanted a change (41% for males and 29% for females). Family reasons: marry/children/look after others/have holiday/moved house/spouse transferred (20%) was the next most common reason (9% for males and 29% for females).

Almost half (48%) of persons who involuntarily lost a job during the year were retrenched. The next most common reason for persons involuntarily ceasing their last job was job ended, was temporary or seasonal (36%).

Approximately half (49%) of persons who ceased a job in the last 12 months were working at February 2015. (Table 19)