Australia Yearbook - 2009-10

Labour market statistics
Most labour market statistics focus on some
aspect of labour demand or labour supply. In
Australia, surveys of businesses conducted by the
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) are the
primary source of data on labour demand. The
types of data collected through business surveys
include labour costs, earnings and job vacancies.
The ABS population census and household
surveys provide extensive information about the
size and characteristics of labour supply; the
major source is the monthly Labour Force Survey
(LFS) and the on-going program of
supplementary surveys. Information obtained
through these types of collections include data
on labour force status, employment
characteristics as well as demographic
characteristics, such as age. Diagram 8.1
illustrates how labour statistics from ABS
household and business surveys relate to the
labour market.
The concepts and definitions underlying
Australian labour statistics are based on the
conventions, recommendations and guidelines
developed and maintained by the International
Labour Organisation and the United Nations
Statistical Office. Australian labour statistics
comply in almost every respect with these
international standards.
Labour force
The labour force represents the key official
measure of the total supply of labour available to
the labour market during a given short reference
period. It represents the labour available for the
production of economic goods and services.
8.1 AUSTRALIAN LABOUR STATISTICS FRAMEWORK
PRINCIPAL DATA SOURCE:
Business surveys
PRINCIPAL DATA SOURCE:
Household surveys
PERSONS
Information about civilian population
aged 15 years and over, e.g. age, sex,
birthplace
EMPLOYING
BUSINESSES
Information about
employing
busineses,
e.g. number
of employees,
industry
EMPLOYED
Information about
employed persons,
e.g. occupation,
industry, hours
worked
UNEMPLOYED
Information about
unemployed
persons,
e.g. duration of
unemployment,
work preferences
Surplus labour
supply
NOT IN THE
LABOUR FORCE
Information about
persons not in the
labour force,
e.g. reasons not in
the labour force,
marginal
attachment
EMPLOYERS
JOB VACANCIES
JOBS
EMPLOYEES
Unmet labour
demand
Information
about jobs,
e.g. earnings,
hours paid, fulltime/part-time
Information about
employees,
e.g. earnings,
employment
benefits
OWN ACCOUNT
WORKERS
CONTRIBUTING
FAMILY
WORKERS
Labour demand Actual labour supply (labour force) Potential labour supply
Source: Labour Statistics: Concepts, Sources and Methods (6102.0.55.001).
232 Year Book Australia 2009–10