Labour Force, Australia

Latest release

Headline estimates of employment, unemployment, underemployment, participation and hours worked from the monthly Labour Force Survey

Reference period
August 2023
Released
14/09/2023
  • Next Release 19/10/2023
    Labour Force, Australia, September 2023
  • Next Release 16/11/2023
    Labour Force, Australia, October 2023
  • Next Release 14/12/2023
    Labour Force, Australia, November 2023
  • View all releases

Key statistics

In trend terms, in August 2023:

  • unemployment rate remained at 3.7%.
  • participation rate increased to 67.0%.
  • employment increased to 14,096,100.
  • employment to population ratio remained at 64.5%.
  • underemployment rate increased to 6.5%.
  • monthly hours worked increased to 1,954 million.

In seasonally adjusted terms, in August 2023:

  • unemployment rate remained at 3.7%.
  • participation rate increased to 67.0%.
  • employment increased to 14,107,900.
  • employment to population ratio increased to 64.5%.
  • underemployment rate increased to 6.6%.
  • monthly hours worked decreased to 1,941 million.
  • full-time employment increased by 2,800 to 9,849,800 people.
  • part-time employment increased by 62,100 to 4,258,100 people.
Key statistics - Trend
Jul-2023Aug-2023Monthly changeMonthly change (%)Yearly changeYearly change (%)
Employed people14,067,80014,096,10028,3000.2%399,7002.9%
Unemployed people532,900539,7006,8001.3%43,5008.8%
Unemployment rate3.7%3.7%0.0 ptsna0.2 ptsna
Underemployment rate6.4%6.5%0.0 ptsna0.5 ptsna
Participation rate66.9%67.0%0.0 ptsna0.3 ptsna
Monthly hours worked in all jobs 1,951 million 1,954 million3 million0.2%86 million4.6%
Key statistics - Seasonally adjusted
Jul-2023Aug-2023Monthly changeMonthly change (%)Yearly changeYearly change (%)
Employed people14,043,00014,107,90064,9000.5%410,7003.0%
Unemployed people543,200540,500-2,600-0.5%42,6008.5%
Unemployment rate3.7%3.7%0.0 ptsna0.2 ptsna
Underemployment rate6.4%6.6%0.2 ptsna0.6 ptsna
Participation rate66.9%67.0%0.1 ptsna0.3 ptsna
Monthly hours worked in all jobs 1,950 million 1,941 million-9 million-0.5%68 million3.7%

Estimates of changes throughout this release are calculated using un-rounded level estimates and may be different from, but are more accurate than, movements obtained from the rounded level estimates.

For definitions of labour statistics used in this publication, please refer to Glossary of Labour Force, Australia methodology.

Survey impacts and changes

Articles and other information

As Labour Force hours worked data have returned to more usual patterns, the ABS ceased publishing the pandemic-related article ‘insights into hours worked’ with the April 2023 publication, but has continued to publish data cubes EM2a and EM2b in Labour Force, Australia. From the September 2023 release and onwards, the ABS will revert to only releasing these two data cubes in Labour Force, Australia, Detailed.

Quarterly rebenchmarking of labour force statistics

The ABS has revised the original Labour Force series from July 2021 to reflect the latest available preliminary and final estimates of the Estimated Resident Population. This quarterly process ensures that the Labour Force series promptly reflect any change in population trends and minimises the size of revisions that can occur when the series are rebenchmarked following each Census of Population and Housing.

In response to COVID-19 related changes in travel, the ABS has been revising preliminary Net Overseas Migration estimates more frequently. Net Overseas Migration estimates are a component of population estimates, from which Labour Force benchmarks are produced. These revisions have been incorporated into the quarterly rebenchmarking revisions. For more information, please refer to 'Net Overseas Migration revisions in Labour Force benchmarks during COVID-19'.

The usual resident civilian population in June 2023 was revised down by around 0.1% (around 15,500 people).

Revisions to original series also result in revisions to seasonally adjusted series.

The current Labour Force population benchmarks are derived from estimated resident population (ERP) based on the 2021 Census (preliminary rebased ERP).

In the November 2023 publication, to be released on 14 December 2023, the Labour Force population benchmarks will be updated to reflect the latest estimated resident population (ERP) based on the 2021 Census (final rebased ERP). This is a regular 5-yearly rebasing process which follows each Census, and ensures the Labour Force estimates are benchmarked to the most recent population information. This process will result in revisions to Labour Force estimates going back to 2016. This follows a similar process to that undertaken in 2018.

New Labour Force Survey sample commences in September

Since July 2018, the Labour Force Survey sample has been selected using information collected in the 2016 Census of Population and Housing. The effectiveness of the Labour Force sample is maintained by updating it with information from the most recent Census. The ABS will utilise information from the 2021 Census for sample selection with the new sample phased in over eight months from September 2023.

Further information on the new sample will be provided in the September 2023 release on 19 October.

Upcoming improvements to Labour Force estimation method

As part of ongoing improvements to the estimation method for Labour Force statistics, the ABS will make some minor changes in how it accounts for some relatively small population groups within the sample.

There are various small groups, which together account for less than 2 per cent of the overall sample, who are more difficult to survey each month, contribute a higher degree of underlying sampling variability, and for whom there is more reliable auxiliary data sources (e.g. regular administrative data). This includes some people who don’t live in private dwellings and some people who live in remote and very remote parts of Australia.

ABS analysis has shown that estimation models that draw on auxiliary data for these groups produce a better quality contribution for them to aggregate Labour Force statistics.

This minor change will result in a small improvement in the quality of estimates, but there will be minimal effect on headline Labour Force estimates. The national participation rate is expected to change by less than 0.1 percentage point and the unemployment rate will remain unchanged.

In order to minimise the number of changes and associated revisions, these small estimation changes will be implemented at the same time as the next quarterly population rebenchmarking process (with November 2023, to be released on 14 December 2023), which will also coincide with the major rebenchmarking related to the final rebasing of population estimates to the 2021 Census.

In making these changes, the estimation method will be backcast to the commencement of the most recent sample selection, which was introduced in July 2018.

Further information will be provided in the October 2023 release on 16 November.

Enhanced regional labour market data

The ABS is developing improved monthly regional labour market statistics. More information on this, including new illustrative estimates and methodology, can be found in the Information Paper that was released on 27 June 2023.

The modelled SA4 level labour force estimates will be implemented into the regular set of Labour Force Survey outputs, and be published on a monthly basis. The first monthly release of the modelled SA4 estimates is expected to be published with the January 2024 Labour Force, Australia, in February 2024.

The modelled estimates will initially be added into Labour Force, Australia, Detailed around a week after it is first published.

Survey response and timeline

The August Labour Force Survey was run in respect of the two weeks from Sunday 30 July to Saturday 12 August, and collected over the period from Sunday 6 August to Saturday 26 August.

The ABS would like to thank Australians for their continued support in responding to our surveys, given how critically important this information is.

Reference and Enumeration Dates
PublicationStart of Reference WeekEnd of Reference WeekStart of EnumerationEnd of Enumeration
Jul-232nd July 202315th July 20239th July 202329th July 2023
Aug-2330th July 202312th August 20236th August 202326th August 2023
Sep-233rd September 202316th September 202310th September 202330th September 2023
Oct-231st October 202314th October 20238th October 202328th October 2023
Nov-2329th October 202311th November 20235th November 202325th November 2023
Dec-2326th November 20239th December 20233rd December 202320th December 2023

Unemployment

In trend terms, in August 2023:

  • unemployment rate remained at 3.7%.
  • unemployed people increased by 6,800 to 539,700. 
  • youth unemployment rate remained at 8.2%.

Large month-to-month changes occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in multiple trend breaks. The ABS recommends caution when using trend estimates published in spreadsheets in this release for this period. Information on trend breaks can be found in Labour Force, Australia methodology, August 2023.

Employment

In trend terms, in August 2023, employment increased by 28,300 people (0.2%) to 14,096,100 people.

Flows into and out of employment

Flows into and out of employment are extensive and are based on the net matched sample of original employment growth between two consecutive months (around 80% of the sample). The (net) sum of the inflows and outflows does not necessarily equal the 'net' employment growth.

For August 2023, the net change in the number of employed people is the result of around 513,000 people entering employment (i.e. they were not employed in July but were employed in August), while around 467,000 people left employment (i.e. they were employed in July but not employed in August). This contrasts with July 2023, where around 500,000 people entered employment and around 511,000 people left employment.

Large month-to-month changes occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in multiple trend breaks. The ABS recommends caution when using trend estimates published in spreadsheets in this release for this period. Information on trend breaks can be found in Labour Force, Australia methodology, August 2023.

Full-time and part-time employment

In trend terms, in August 2023:

  • full-time employment increased by 14,000 to 9,878,000 people, and part-time employment increased by 14,300 to 4,218,100 people.
  • part-time share of employment was 29.9%.

 

Employment-to-population ratio

In trend terms, in August 2023, the employment-to-population ratio remained at 64.5%.

The employment-to-population ratio provides a measure of employment relative to the size of the population.

Large month-to-month changes occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in multiple trend breaks. The ABS recommends caution when using trend estimates published in spreadsheets in this release for this period. Information on trend breaks can be found in Labour Force, Australia methodology, August 2023.

Hours worked

In trend terms, in August 2023, monthly hours worked in all jobs increased by 3.3 million hours (0.2%) to 1,954 million hours.

Large month-to-month changes occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in multiple trend breaks. The ABS recommends caution when using trend estimates published in spreadsheets in this release for this period. Information on trend breaks can be found in Labour Force, Australia methodology, August 2023.

Participation

In trend terms, in August 2023, the participation rate:

  • increased to 67.0%.
  • increased to 71.6% for men and remained at 62.5% for women.

Large month-to-month changes occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in multiple trend breaks. The ABS recommends caution when using trend estimates published in spreadsheets in this release for this period. Information on trend breaks can be found in Labour Force, Australia methodology, August 2023.

Underemployment

In trend terms, in August 2023:

  • underemployment rate increased to 6.5%.
  • underutilisation rate increased to 10.2%.

Large month-to-month changes occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in multiple trend breaks. The ABS recommends caution when using trend estimates published in spreadsheets in this release for this period. Information on trend breaks can be found in Labour Force, Australia methodology, August 2023.

States and Territories

August 2023 - Trend
New South WalesVictoriaQueenslandSouth AustraliaWestern AustraliaTasmaniaNorthern TerritoryAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
Employed people4,373,6003,658,9002,849,700955,3001,561,100289,100138,100265,90014,096,100
Employed people - monthly change0.2%0.3%0.2%0.2%0.3%-0.1%-0.3%0.3%0.2%
Employment to population ratio64.0%65.2%63.7%62.0%66.5%60.0%70.2%70.5%64.5%
Employment to population ratio - monthly change0.0 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts-0.1 pts-0.3 pts0.1 pts0.0 pts
Unemployment rate3.3%3.6%4.1%3.9%3.6%4.4%3.7%3.2%3.7%
Unemployment rate - monthly change0.0 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts0.1 pts0.1 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts
Underemployment rate6.3%6.4%6.8%7.7%6.0%6.9%4.0%4.4%6.5%
Underemployment rate - monthly change0.0 pts0.1 pts0.0 pts0.1 pts0.0 pts-0.1 pts0.1 pts-0.3 pts0.0 pts
Participation rate66.2%67.6%66.5%64.4%69.1%62.8%72.9%72.9%67.0%
Participation rate - monthly change0.0 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts-0.2 pts0.1 pts0.0 pts
August 2023 - Seasonally adjusted
New South WalesVictoriaQueenslandSouth AustraliaWestern AustraliaTasmaniaNorthern TerritoryAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
Employed people4,373,7003,653,0002,847,100958,2001,565,900289,200138,000267,30014,107,900
Employed people - monthly change0.6%-0.1%0.5%0.6%0.9%1.1%0.1%1.4%0.5%
Employment to population ratio64.0%65.1%63.6%62.1%66.7%60.0%70.2%70.8%64.5%
Employment to population ratio - monthly change0.2 pts-0.2 pts0.1 pts0.3 pts0.4 pts0.6 pts0.0 pts0.8 pts0.1 pts
Unemployment rate3.6%3.5%4.1%3.6%3.8%4.4%4.3%3.1%3.7%
Unemployment rate - monthly change0.3 pts-0.1 pts-0.3 pts-0.4 pts0.3 pts-0.3 pts0.5 pts-0.6 pts0.0 pts
Underemployment rate6.4%6.6%7.0%7.9%5.9%6.8%4.2%3.7%6.6%
Underemployment rate - monthly change0.3 pts0.3 pts0.1 pts0.3 pts0.1 pts-0.5 pts0.9 pts-1.2 pts0.2 pts
Participation rate66.3%67.5%66.4%64.4%69.3%62.8%73.3%73.1%67.0%
Participation rate - monthly change0.4 pts-0.3 pts-0.1 pts0.0 pts0.7 pts0.4 pts0.4 pts0.3 pts0.1 pts

Historical charts

Historical charts for employed, unemployed, unemployment rate and participation rate from August 1966 to August 2023

Historical Labour Force estimates of employment, unemployment rate, and participation rate from the historical quarterly and monthly Labour Force Survey.

Prior to 1978 the historical Labour Force Survey was collected quarterly; the current Labour Force Survey is collected monthly. Please refer to the history of changes to see the differences between the historical and current Labour Force Survey.