Unemployment flag (UEFP)

This image shows a question from the 2026 Census online form. This question asks: Last week, did Person 1 have a job of any kind?  

Underneath the question text, the instructional text states: A ‘job’ means any type of work including casual, temporary, part-time, or full-time work, if it was for one hour or more.  

Underneath the instructional text, is a clickable More Information header. Once clicked, the More Information is shown, and states: Last week refers to the week before Census night – Tuesday 11 August 2026.  

People who did some work for which they will receive some payment (including casual, temporary, or part-time work) and it was for one hour or more in the last week select the ‘Yes, worked for payment or profit’ response.  

People on paid leave, for example holiday leave, employer provided parental leave or sick leave, should select ‘Yes, but absent on holidays, on leave, no rostered shifts, or any other reason’.  

People who have been on unpaid leave...  

For less than four weeks and are not being paid, select ‘Yes, but absent on holidays, on leave, no rostered shifts, or any other reason’.  

For four weeks or more and are not being paid, select ‘No, did not have a job.’  

People who are on workers’ compensation and...  

Are planning to return to work, select ‘Yes, but absent on holidays, on leave, no rostered shifts, or any other reason’.  

Won’t be returning to work, select ‘No, did not have a job’.  

People who are only working for the dole should select ‘No, did not have a job.’  

People who are casual or freelance works and...  

Worked in the week before Census night, select ‘Yes, worked for payment or profit’.  

Did not work last week but worked at some stage in the four weeks before Census night, select ‘Yes, but absent on holidays, on leave, no rostered shifts, or any other reason’.  

Retired people should select ‘No, did not have a job’. This also applies to people who have never had a job.  

The response options are: Yes, worked for payment or profit; Yes, but absent on holidays, on leave, no rostered shifts, or any other reason; Yes, unpaid work in a family business; Yes, other unpaid work; No, did not have a job. 

This image shows a question from the 2026 Census online form. This question asks: In the main job held last week, was the person: Working for an employer; Working in own business?

Underneath the question text, the instructional text states: If Person 1 had more than one job last week, then 'main job' refers to the job in which Person 1 usually works the most hours. For all persons conducting their own business, including those with their own incorporated (e.g. Pty Ltd) company, as well as sole traders, partnerships and independent contractors, select 'Working in own business'.

The response options are: Working for an employer; Working in own business.

This image shows a question from the 2026 Census online form. This question asks: Last week, how many hours did Person 1 work in all jobs? 

Underneath the question text, the instructional text states: Add any overtime or extra time worked and subtract any time off. 

Underneath the instructional text, is a clickable More Information header. Once clicked, the More Information is shown, and states: Include all hours the person worked for all jobs, even if those hours are not the hours they usually work. Include any overtime and hours spent working at home. Do not include time off work, for example, sick leave or annual leave. If the person did not work any hours, please enter ‘0’. 

The response option is: House worked, followed by a free text numeric field. 

This image shows a question from the 2026 Census online form. This question asks: Did Person 1 actively look for work at any time in the last four weeks?  

Underneath the question text, the instructional text states: Full-time work means 35 hours or more per week. Examples of actively looking for work include: Contacting employers directly, Contacting employers through an employment agency, Answering an advertisement for a job, Having a job interview, Taking steps to purchase or start a business, Advertising or tendering for work.  

Underneath the instructional text, is a clickable More Information header. Once clicked, the More Information is shown, and states: All people who are not looking for work, including retired people, should select ‘No, did not look for work’. Select ‘No, did not look for work’ if the person only looked in newspapers, on the internet or checked notice boards.  

The response options are: No, did not look for work; Yes, looked for both full-time and part-time work; Yes, looked for full-time work; Yes, looked for part-time work. 

This image shows a question from the 2026 Census online form. This question asks: If Person 1 had found a job, could they have started work last week?  

The response options are: Yes, could have started work last week; No, already had a job to go to; No, temporarily ill or injured; No, other reason.