Persons Who Have Left the Labour Force

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

OVERVIEW

The Persons Who Have Left the Labour Force survey provides summary characteristics of those who have left the labour force in the previous 12 months.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the survey is to help determine flows out of the labour force. Agencies with an interest in examining labour force flows are the main interested parties.

SCOPE

This survey is conducted as part of the Monthly Population Survey, which comprises the Labour Force Survey and, in most months, a supplementary survey topic.

SCOPE - Labour Force Survey

The Labour Force Survey includes all persons aged 15 and over except:

• members of the permanent defence forces;
• certain diplomatic personnel of overseas governments, customarily excluded from census and estimated populations;
• overseas residents in Australia; and
• members of non-Australian defence forces (and their dependants) stationed in Australia.

From July 1993 Jervis Bay Territory is also excluded from the scope of the survey. Before July 1993 it was included in estimates for the Australian Capital Territory.

From July 1997, all supplementary surveys excluded persons in remote and sparsely settled areas of Australia. The exclusion of these persons has only a minor effect on estimates for individual States or Territories.

COVERAGE - Labour Force Survey

In the Labour Force Survey, coverage rules are applied which aim to ensure that each person is associated with only one dwelling, and hence has only one chance of selection. The chance of a person being enumerated at two separate dwellings in the one survey is considered to be negligible.

Persons who are away from their usual residence for six weeks or less at the time of interview are enumerated at their usual residence (relevant information may be obtained from other usual residents present at the time of the survey).

DATA DETAIL

Conceptual framework

The Persons Who Have Left the Labour Force survey covers members of the civilian population aged 15 to 69 who left the labour force. The survey covers the period since they left the labour force and their last labour force activity.

The dynamics of the labour market are such that there are constant movements of persons in and out of the labour force. Data from this survey are used to measure the rate and number of persons who leave the labour force, which is not reflected in statistics of the labour force, and in particular to analyse the reasons why people left the labour force, as well as characteristics of previous jobs and their main activity since leaving the labour force.

Main outputs

Main findings from the survey, including tables and analysis are released in publication format and include the following:

All persons aged 15 to 69 years, April 1988, April 1991 and September 1994: Labour force status, whether left the labour force within the last 12 months, last labour force activity and intention to return to the labour force.

PERSONS WHO HAVE LEFT THE LABOUR FORCE

Summary of characteristics, last labour force activity and whether intended to return to the labour force.

• Main activity since leaving the labour force, last labour force activity and whether intended to return to the labour force
• Educational attainment, last labour force activity and whether intended to return to the labour force

PERSONS WHO HAVE LEFT THE LABOUR FORCE WHOSE LAST LABOUR FORCE ACTIVITY WAS WORKING

• Summary of previous job characteristics and whether intended to return to the labour force
• Reason for ceasing last job and whether intended to return to the labour force

PERSONS WHO HAVE LEFT THE LABOUR FORCE WHOSE LAST LABOUR FORCE ACTIVITY WAS LOOKING FOR WORK

• Summary of labour force characteristics and whether intended to return to the labour force

PERSONS WHO HAVE LEFT THE LABOUR FORCE WHO INTENDED TO RETURN TO THE LABOUR FORCE

• Whether preferred same occupation on return, whether preferred full-time or part-time employment upon return, anticipated time until re-entry into the labour force and age

Demographics: State, Area, Region, Sex, Marital Status, Relationship in Household, Period of Arrival and Age.

Industry: Australia and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC).

Occupation: Australian Standard Classification of Occupations First Edition (ASCO FE).

Country of Birth: The Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC).

Educational attainment: Australian Bureau of Statistics Classification of Qualifications (ABSCQ).

Other concepts (summary)

As the determination of labour force status is based on a more limited set of questions than those used in Labour Force, Australia (ABS Cat. No. 6203.0), the Persons who Have Left the Labour Force survey uses the terms worked and looked for work, rather than the more precisely defined employed and unemployed.

GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania
Northern Territory
ACT
Part of State Metropolitan
Part of State Extra-Metropolitan

Comments and/or Other Regions

Not all data available for all areas.

COLLECTION FREQUENCY
Adhoc

Frequency comments

This survey has been conducted in November 1985, April 1988, April 1991 and September 1994.

COLLECTION HISTORY

The survey was first run in November 1985. It was then run again in April 1988, April 1991, and September 1994.

DATA AVAILABILITY
Yes