6227.0 - Education and Work, Australia, May 1999  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 10/12/1999   
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MEDIA RELEASE

December 10, 1999
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
141/99
Qualified people less likely to be unemployed

According to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today, the unemployment rate for people with post-school qualifications is less than half the rate for those without (4.6% and 9.6% respectively). Labour force participation rates also remained significantly higher for people with such qualifications, 84.3% compared to 68.4% for those with no qualifications.

Some 18% (2,257,200) of Australians aged between 15-64 were undertaking some form of educational study in May 1999, an increase of 114,000 students compared to May 1998. Over 90% of these students were studying for a recognised educational qualification.

On the whole there were approximately equal numbers of male and female school students, 338,800 and 340,600 respectively. However females outnumbered males when it came to tertiary courses (824,500 compared to 753,300)

Among the 1.6 million tertiary students in May 1999, 42% (655,000) already had some form of post-school qualification. Almost half of all tertiary students were aged 25 to 64.

There were 5.45 million persons with post-school qualifications in May 1999, 280,000 more than in May 1998. More than 2.5 million had vocational qualifications, such as a trade, and a further 1.9 million had a Bachelor degree or higher qualification. The remaining 1 million had Undergraduate or Associate diplomas.

It is estimated that of the 192,800 people who completed Year 12 schooling in 1998, 72% were attending tertiary education in May 1999.

There were 132,200 persons in apprenticeships in May 1999, an increase of 7,700 since 1998. Of these apprentices 56% were between 15 and 19 years of age.

Further details can be found in Transition from Education to Work, Australia, May 1999 (cat. no. 6227.0) available from ABS Bookshops in all capital cities. A summary of findings can be found on this site. The ABS encourages media organisations with online news services to link to the summaries. Please phone us if you need help to do this.

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