Labour Force, Australia

Latest release

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

Reference period
July 2024
Released
15/08/2024
  • Next Release 19/09/2024
    Labour Force, Australia, August 2024
  • Next Release 17/10/2024
    Labour Force, Australia, September 2024
  • Next Release 14/11/2024
    Labour Force, Australia, October 2024
  • View all releases

Key statistics

In trend terms, in July 2024:

  • unemployment rate increased to 4.2%. 
  • participation rate increased to 67.1%.
  • employment increased to 14,462,100. 
  • employment to population ratio increased to 64.3%.
  • underemployment rate remained at 6.4%.
  • monthly hours worked increased to 1,960 million.

In seasonally adjusted terms, in July 2024:

  • unemployment rate increased to 4.2%.
  • participation rate increased to 67.1%.
  • employment increased to 14,469,600.
  • employment to population ratio increased to 64.3%.
  • underemployment rate decreased to 6.3%.
  • monthly hours worked increased to 1,961 million.
  • full-time employment increased by 60,500 to 10,010,600 people.
  • part-time employment decreased by 2,300 to 4,459,000 people.
Key statistics - Trend
Jun-24Jul-24Monthly changeMonthly change (%)Yearly changeYearly change (%)
Employed people14,414,20014,462,10047,8000.3%414,0002.9%
Unemployed people618,400627,9009,5001.5%93,80017.6%
Unemployment rate4.1%4.2%0.0 ptsna0.5 ptsna
Underemployment rate6.4%6.4%-0.1 ptsna-0.1 ptsna
Participation rate67.0%67.1%0.1 ptsna0.4 ptsna
Monthly hours worked in all jobs1,957 million1,960 million3 million0.2%22 million1.2%
Key statistics - Seasonally adjusted
Jun-24Jul-24Monthly changeMonthly change (%)Yearly changeYearly change (%)
Employed people14,411,30014,469,60058,2000.4%455,4003.2%
Unemployed people613,200637,10023,9003.9%94,90017.5%
Unemployment rate4.1%4.2%0.1 ptsna0.5 ptsna
Underemployment rate6.4%6.3%-0.1 ptsna-0.1 ptsna
Participation rate66.9%67.1%0.2 ptsna0.6 ptsna
Monthly hours worked in all jobs1,953 million1,961 million7 million0.4%17 million0.9%

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

Release of modelled regional labour force estimates

The ABS has published new monthly modelled SA4 level estimates in the June 2024 release of Labour Force, Australia, Detailed. Modelled estimates will be made available each month on the same day as the detailed data. 

The ABS recommends using the modelled estimates over the direct survey estimates whenever possible in reporting on regional labour markets.

Update on hours worked statistics

Minor changes to the Labour Force Survey questionnaire from July 2024

Survey response and timeline

Unemployment

In trend terms, in July 2024:

  • unemployment rate increased to 4.2%.
  • unemployed people increased by 9,500 to 627,900. 
  • youth unemployment rate remained at 9.7%.

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, July 2024.

Employment

In trend terms, in July 2024, employment increased by 47,800 people (0.3%) to 14,462,100 people. 

Flows into and out of 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, July 2024.

Full-time and part-time employment

In trend terms, in July 2024:

  • full-time employment increased by 40,900 to 9,996,500 people, and part-time employment increased by 7,000 to 4,465,600 people.
  • part-time share of employment was 30.9%. 

 

Employment-to-population ratio

In trend terms, in July 2024, the employment-to-population ratio increased to 64.3%.

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, July 2024.

Hours worked

In trend terms, in July 2024, monthly hours worked in all jobs increased by 3.2 million hours (0.2%) to 1,960 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, July 2024.

Participation

In trend terms, in July 2024, the participation rate:

  • increased to 67.1%.
  • increased to 71.2% for men and increased to 63.1% 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, July 2024.

Underemployment

In trend terms, in July 2024:

  • underemployment rate remained at 6.4%.
  • underutilisation rate decreased to 10.5%.

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, July 2024.

States and Territories

July 2024 - Trend
New South WalesVictoriaQueenslandSouth AustraliaWestern AustraliaTasmaniaNorthern TerritoryAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
Employed people4,478,5003,770,5002,951,000941,2001,616,400282,000140,100271,30014,462,100
Employed people - monthly change0.4%0.4%0.1%0.1%0.2%-0.2%0.2%0.3%0.3%
Employment to population ratio63.7%65.0%64.3%60.0%66.3%58.3%70.0%70.1%64.3%
Employment to population ratio - monthly change0.1 pts0.1 pts-0.1 pts0.0 pts-0.1 pts-0.1 pts0.1 pts0.1 pts0.1 pts
Unemployment rate4.0%4.5%4.2%4.2%3.7%4.1%4.3%3.6%4.2%
Unemployment rate - monthly change0.0 pts0.1 pts0.1 pts0.1 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts-0.1 pts0.0 pts
Underemployment rate6.1%6.6%6.7%7.3%5.6%6.8%4.4%5.3%6.4%
Underemployment rate - monthly change-0.1 pts-0.1 pts-0.1 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts-0.2 pts0.2 pts0.1 pts-0.1 pts
Participation rate66.3%68.1%67.1%62.6%68.9%60.8%73.1%72.7%67.1%
Participation rate - monthly change0.1 pts0.1 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts-0.1 pts-0.1 pts0.1 pts0.0 pts0.1 pts
July 2024 - Seasonally adjusted
New South WalesVictoriaQueenslandSouth AustraliaWestern AustraliaTasmaniaNorthern TerritoryAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
Employed people4,501,7003,776,8002,930,100943,7001,621,600279,000141,000271,00014,469,600
Employed people - monthly change1.1%0.7%-0.9%0.4%0.8%-1.6%1.4%-0.2%0.4%
Employment to population ratio64.0%65.1%63.8%60.2%66.6%57.7%70.4%70.0%64.3%
Employment to population ratio - monthly change0.5 pts0.3 pts-0.7 pts0.2 pts0.4 pts-1.0 pts0.9 pts-0.3 pts0.1 pts
Unemployment rate4.0%4.6%4.3%4.3%3.7%4.3%4.3%3.9%4.2%
Unemployment rate - monthly change0.1 pts0.0 pts0.4 pts0.4 pts0.0 pts0.6 pts-0.3 pts0.9 pts0.1 pts
Underemployment rate6.0%6.6%6.6%7.2%5.5%6.2%4.7%6.1%6.3%
Underemployment rate - monthly change0.0 pts-0.1 pts-0.5 pts0.1 pts0.3 pts-1.2 pts1.0 pts1.3 pts-0.1 pts
Participation rate66.7%68.3%66.7%62.9%69.1%60.3%73.6%72.9%67.1%
Participation rate - monthly change0.6 pts0.3 pts-0.5 pts0.5 pts0.3 pts-0.6 pts0.7 pts0.4 pts0.2 pts

Historical charts

Historical charts for employed, unemployed, unemployment rate and participation rate from August 1966 to July 2024