Index
The Labour Force - 1
Birth And Death Rates - 2
Migration And Age Distribution - 3
Other Factors Effecting The Labour Force - 4
Attitudes To Work And Leisure- 5
Australia's Population - Statistical Analysis - 6
Population Centres In Australia - 7
Trends In Employment - 8
The Supply And Demand For Labour - 9
Geographical Mobility And Taxation - 10
The Unemployment Rate - 11
Defining ''Employment'' - 12
The Labour Force Reviewed - 13
The Hidden Unemployed - 14
Changes In Employment And Unemployment - 15
Economic Growth And Employment - 16
The Demand For Labour - 17
The Impact Of The Global Economy - 18
Legal Requirements - 19
The ''Casualisation'' Of The Labour Force - 20
Types of Unemployment - 21
Types of Unemployment (continued) - 22
The Labour Force Participation Rate - 23
The LFPR (continued) - 24
The Effects Of Unemployment - 25
Income Inequality - 26
The Distribution Of Household Income - 27
Income Distribution In Australia - 28
Income Distribution (continued) - 29
Income Distribution (continued) - 30
Changes In The Workforce - 31
Net Overseas Migration - 32
Sources Of Migrant Intake - 33
Changes In The Workforce (continued) - 34
Youth Unemployment - 35
''Mature'' Unemployment - 36
Supply Side Economics - 37
Revision Exercise - 1 - 38
Revision Exercise - 2 - 39

Changes in Employment And Unemployment - 15
The unemployment rate is defined as the percentage of the labour force that is unemployed.

(That is, B divided by A plus B.)

Table 6.4 shows changes in labour force status between 1993-94 and 1998-99, for both males and females. There has been a steady increase in employment for both males and females over the period indicated. The male unemployment rate fell rapidly from 1993-94 to 1994-95. It remained relatively steady for the next two years before falling to 7.8% in 1998-99. The female unemployment rate fell from 10.0% in 1993-94 to 8.0% in 1995-96. After rising in 1996-97, the rate then fell back to 8.0% in 1997-98 and then to 7.4% in 1998-99.
6.4 CIVILIAN POPULATION AGED 15 AND OVER(a), Labour Force Status, Annual Average
Unit
1993-94
1994-95
1995-96
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99
MALES
Employed
'000
4,472.3
4,628.8
4,718.3
4,757
4,818.9
4,914.2
Unemployed
Looking for full-time work
'000
500
414.4
400
400.9
386
357.5
Looking for part-time work
'000
49
51.1
53.4
58.5
59.4
58.6
Total unemployed
'000
549
465.5
453.4
459.4
445.5
416.1
Labour force
'000
5,021.3
5,094.3
5,171.7
5,216.4
5,264.3
5,330.3
Not in the labour force
'000
1,797
1,810.2
1,833.2
1,892
1,949.9
1,993.4
Civilian population
'000
6,818.3
6,904.6
7,004.9
7,108.4
7,214.3
7,323.7
Unemployment rate
%
10.9
9.1
8.8
8.8
8.5
7.8
Participation rate
%
73.6
73.8
73.8
73.4
73.0
72.8
FEMALES
Employed
'000
3,308.3
3,463.8
3,582.9
3,623.7
3,677.5
3,766.5
Unemployed
Looking for full-time work
'000
262.3
224.7
210.7
223.8
215.2
194.9
Looking for part-time work
'000
104.2
103.5
100.3
109.3
103.6
107.3
Total unemployed
'000
366.4
328.2
310.9
333
318.8
302.1
Labour force
'000
3,674.7
3,791.9
3,893.9
3,956.7
3,996.3
4,068.7
Not in the labour force
'000
3,360.5
3,335.1
3,343.8
3,390.3
3,454.2
3,486.6
Civilian population
'000
7,035.3
7,127.1
7,237.7
7,347
7,450.5
7,555.3
Unemployment rate
%
10.0
8.7
8.0
8.4
8.0
7.4
Participation rate
%
52.2
53.2
53.8
53.9
53.6
53.9
(a) Estimates from January 1995 to January 1999 have been revised to reflect revisions in the civilian population arising from the 1996 Census.

Source: Unpublished data, Labour Force Survey.
Copyright Australian Bureau of Statistics