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

Migration and Age Distribution - 3
A nation's population is also influenced by the rate of net migration, which is defined as the difference between the number of permanent arrivals to Australia, less the number of permanent departures from Australia. The number of new migrants to Australia each year varies between 60,000 and 120,000 per year, and depends on economic conditions, and on government policy.

Australia has an ageing population. A growing proportion of the population is over 65 years old. Since 1990, the percentage of the population that could potentially join the workforce (the 15 - 65 year olds) has fallen (from 66.9% of the total population to 66.6%). At the same time, the proportion of the population over 65 years from 8.3% of the total population (in 1970) to 11.9% (in 1995). Many of these people are dependent on the government for their retirement incomes (the old age pension).

Age Group
(Years)		 Percentage of the Population in Each Age Group
196519701975198019851990 1995
0 - 1429.628.827.525.323.6 22.021.4
15 - 6561.962.963.865.166.1 66.966.6
over 658.58.38.79.610.3 11.111.9

Where will the money come from to fund these pensions? Migration provides additional tax payers, who help reduce the burden on the rest of us.

Source : Reserve Bank of Australia, Occasional Paper 8