Australia Yearbook - 2009-10

8.39 LABOUR FORCE UNDERUTILISATION RATE(a), By sex
Males
Females
Persons
%
25
20
15
10
5
May
1989
May
1993
May
1997
May
2001
May
2005
0
May
2009
(a) Trend estimates.
Series break at May 2001.
Source: Labour Force, Australia (6202.0).
underutilisation rate than men (11.9% compared
with 7.6%), reflecting their higher rate of
underemployment. Underemployment
contributed more people to the total number of
people considered to be underutilised (634,500,
or 59%) than unemployment (432,600, or 41%).
In August 2008 the extended labour force
underutilisation rate was 10.6%. The extended
labour force underutilisation rate was higher for
women than men (13.2% compared with 8.5%),
not only because women had a higher rate of
underemployment, but also because women
were more likely to be in the marginally attached
populations that contribute to this rate.
The trend historical labour force underutilisation
rate shows a number of periods in which
underutilisation has been an increasing or
decreasing concern for the labour market, and
these closely align with the peaks and troughs of
the economic cycle. Graph 8.39 shows the
relatively steep increase in the early 1990s, and a
sharp increase from May 2008 to May 2009.
The pattern of labour force underutilisation has
been similar since May 1989, with the rate for
women consistently higher than for men. The
difference was most pronounced in
February 2004, with a different of 5.3 percentage
points (15.7% for women and 10.4% for men),
and least pronounced in November 1992, with a
8.40 LABOUR FORCE UNDERUTILISATION RATE , By age and sex—August 2008
%
Males
30
Females
20
10
0
15–19 20–24 25–34 35–44 45–54 55–64 65 and over
Source: Australian Labour Market Statistics (6105.0).
Chapter 8 — Labour 259