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

Youth Unemployment - 35
Review : unemployment grew steadily from the 1970's because of several factors; the labour force participation rate of women rose (from 39% in 1971 to 55% in 1998); part time jobs grew at a faster rate than full time jobs, and the working age population rose as the ''baby boomers'' entered the workforce.

There were major changes in demand for labour as well. As Australian industry became more complex, production became more capital intensive in the manufacturing, mining, agricultural and construction sectors. These had been, in the past, much more labour intensive in their methods of production. Much of the labour employed was unskilled, or semi-skilled. Australian business wanted greater levels of skills from their work force, and the demand for 15 to 19 year olds fell significantly. In 1970, only 3% of 15 - 19 year olds in the labour force were unemployed. By 1990, this had risen to 14%.

In the 1960's and early 1970's school retention rates for students after Year 10 fell considerably. Many more people left school (after the ''Intermediate Certificate'') than do today. There were many more young people in the labour market a generation ago than there are today, yet the overwhelming majority of them gained employment. Today, there are fewer young people leaving school at Year 10 (today, over 85% of students complete Year 12 in some form), yet despite there being fewer of these people looking for work, there are even fewer jobs.

Don't be mislead by the statistics. If there were 500,000 15 - 19 year olds employed, and 25,000 young people of the same age looking for work in 1970, then the unemployment rate for this group is 25,000 / (500,000 + 25,000) = 4.8%.

In 1998, if there are 300,000 15 - 19 year olds employed, and 40,000 young people of the same age looking for work, then the unemployment rate for this group has risen to 11.8%.

There are only 15,000 extra young people looking for work (an absolute change) but the unemployment rate has more than doubled (a relative change).

When the newspaper headlines cry ''Crisis in Youth Unemployment'', take the headline with a ''grain of salt''; the reported unemployment rate does not mean a large number of people, relative to the size of the total population in that age group, are unemployed. The overwhelming majority of young people are undertaking full time education and increasing the chances of their employment in the future.