What It Means To Be Employed - 12

The ABS has a very narrow definition of unemployment. To be considered as ''unemployed'', you must be actively looking for work. This means you must have contacted at least two potential employers in the past week. If you have not been ''actively'' looking for work, you are not considered part of the labour force.

You will also considered as ''employed'' if you have worked for at least one hour in the past week, for cash or ''kind''. For example, if you mow your neighbour's lawn, on the understanding he or she will mow your lawn next week, you have worked for ''payment in kind'' and have been employed.

You are considered to have been employed if you have worked for fifteen hours or more, without pay, in a family business or farm.

The ABS does calculate the level of underemployment in our economy. Refer to the previous diagram, and analyse the criteria used to determine the level of underemployment.

You are also considered as ''employed'' if you are annual leave or on leave without pay for less than four weeks in the survey period, or if you were on ''strike''.