Labour Force, Australia

Latest release

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

Reference period
October 2024
Released
14/11/2024
  • Next Release 12/12/2024
    Labour Force, Australia, November 2024
  • Next Release 16/01/2025
    Labour Force, Australia, December 2024
  • Next Release 20/02/2025
    Labour Force, Australia, January 2025
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Key statistics

In trend terms, in October 2024:

  • unemployment rate remained at 4.1%. 
  • participation rate increased to 67.2%.
  • employment increased to 14,541,200. 
  • employment to population ratio remained at 64.4%.
  • underemployment rate remained at 6.3%.
  • monthly hours worked increased to 1,971 million.

In seasonally adjusted terms, in October 2024:

  • unemployment rate remained at 4.1%.
  • participation rate decreased to 67.1%.
  • employment increased to 14,537,500.
  • employment to population ratio remained at 64.4%.
  • underemployment rate decreased to 6.2%.
  • monthly hours worked increased to 1,972 million.
  • full-time employment increased by 9,700 to 10,037,700 people.
  • part-time employment increased by 6,200 to 4,499,800 people.
Key statistics - Trend
Sep-24Oct-24Monthly changeMonthly change (%)Yearly changeYearly change (%)
Employed people14,504,40014,541,20036,8000.3%407,0002.9%
Unemployed people622,600623,5008000.1%64,70011.6%
Unemployment rate4.1%4.1%0.0 ptsna0.3 ptsna
Underemployment rate6.3%6.3%0.0 ptsna-0.3 ptsna
Participation rate67.1%67.2%0.0 ptsna0.4 ptsna
Monthly hours worked in all jobs1,966 million1,971 million5 million0.3%48 million2.5%
Key statistics - Seasonally adjusted
Sep-24Oct-24Monthly changeMonthly change (%)Yearly changeYearly change (%)
Employed people14,521,60014,537,50015,9000.1%387,1002.7%
Unemployed people617,500625,8008,3001.3%66,50011.9%
Unemployment rate4.1%4.1%0.0 ptsna0.3 ptsna
Underemployment rate6.3%6.2%-0.1 ptsna-0.2 ptsna
Participation rate67.2%67.1%0.0 ptsna0.3 ptsna
Monthly hours worked in all jobs1,969 million1,972 million3 million0.1%48 million2.5%

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

Minor changes to the Labour Force Survey questionnaire from October 2024

Survey collection

Survey response and timeline

Unemployment

In trend terms, in October 2024:

  • unemployment rate remained at 4.1%.
  • unemployed people increased by 800 to 623,500. 
  • youth unemployment rate decreased to 9.3%.

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, October 2024.

Employment

In trend terms, in October 2024, employment increased by 36,800 people (0.3%) to 14,541,200 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, October 2024.

Full-time and part-time employment

In trend terms, in October 2024:

  • full-time employment increased by 21,500 to 10,041,000 people, and part-time employment increased by 15,300 to 4,500,200 people.
  • part-time share of employment was 30.9%.

 

Employment-to-population ratio

In trend terms, in October 2024, the employment-to-population ratio remained at 64.4%.

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, October 2024.

Hours worked

In trend terms, in October 2024, monthly hours worked in all jobs increased by 5.0 million hours (0.3%) to 1,971 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, October 2024.

Participation

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

  • increased to 67.2%.
  • remained at 71.3% for men and remained at 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, October 2024.

Underemployment

In trend terms, in October 2024:

  • underemployment rate remained at 6.3%.
  • underutilisation rate remained at 10.4%.

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, October 2024.

States and Territories

October 2024 - Trend
New South WalesVictoriaQueenslandSouth AustraliaWestern AustraliaTasmaniaNorthern TerritoryAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
Employed people4,473,5003,809,4002,978,400952,9001,621,400279,800138,800272,30014,541,200
Employed people - monthly change0.2%0.3%0.4%0.4%0.2%-0.1%-0.1%0.2%0.3%
Employment to population ratio63.4%65.4%64.6%60.6%66.2%57.9%69.3%70.1%64.4%
Employment to population ratio - monthly change0.0 pts0.1 pts0.1 pts0.2 pts-0.1 pts-0.1 pts-0.1 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts
Unemployment rate4.0%4.5%4.0%4.1%3.9%4.2%4.5%3.4%4.1%
Unemployment rate - monthly change0.0 pts0.0 pts-0.1 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts0.1 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts
Underemployment rate6.0%6.6%6.5%7.5%5.5%7.8%4.3%4.7%6.3%
Underemployment rate - monthly change0.0 pts0.0 pts-0.1 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts0.1 pts0.1 pts-0.1 pts0.0 pts
Participation rate66.1%68.4%67.3%63.2%68.9%60.4%72.6%72.6%67.2%
Participation rate - monthly change0.0 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts0.2 pts-0.1 pts-0.1 pts-0.1 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts
October 2024 - Seasonally adjusted
New South WalesVictoriaQueenslandSouth AustraliaWestern AustraliaTasmaniaNorthern TerritoryAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
Employed people4,463,8003,805,5003,000,300954,9001,618,400278,800138,700272,10014,537,500
Employed people - monthly change-0.4%0.0%1.3%0.7%-0.1%-1.0%0.2%-0.1%0.1%
Employment to population ratio63.3%65.3%65.1%60.7%66.1%57.6%69.3%70.1%64.4%
Employment to population ratio - monthly change-0.4 pts-0.2 pts0.7 pts0.4 pts-0.2 pts-0.6 pts0.1 pts-0.2 pts-0.1 pts
Unemployment rate4.0%4.5%3.9%4.2%4.0%4.1%4.6%3.1%4.1%
Unemployment rate - monthly change0.2 pts0.1 pts-0.2 pts-0.1 pts0.4 pts0.1 pts0.3 pts-0.3 pts0.0 pts
Underemployment rate6.0%6.6%6.2%7.5%5.4%8.1%4.2%4.6%6.2%
Underemployment rate - monthly change0.1 pts-0.1 pts-0.4 pts0.0 pts0.0 pts0.2 pts-0.9 pts0.0 pts-0.1 pts
Participation rate66.0%68.4%67.7%63.4%68.8%60.1%72.6%72.3%67.1%
Participation rate - monthly change-0.3 pts-0.1 pts0.6 pts0.3 pts0.1 pts-0.6 pts0.3 pts-0.4 pts0.0 pts

Historical charts

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