Australia Yearbook - 2001

228 Year Book Australia 2001
Persons not in the labour
force
Persons not in the labour force represent that
group of the population who, during the
reference week of a Labour Force Survey, are
neither employed nor unemployed (see diagram
6.2). Interest in this group centres primarily on
their potential to participate in the labour force.
Of the 3,712,400 persons aged 15–69 years not in
the labour force at September 1999, the majority
(66%) were female.
Some 24% of persons not in the labour force
were marginally attached to the labour force
(table 6.21). These people wanted to work and
were either looking for work or available to start
work, but did not satisfy all the criteria for being
classified as unemployed. An estimated 70% of
these potential labour force participants were
female.
In September 1999 there were 105,800
discouraged job seekers. The majority (65%) of
discouraged job seekers were female.
Discouraged job seekers are a part of the
marginally attached to the labour force. They are
persons who want to work and are available to
start work, but are not actively looking for work
as they believe they will not find a job.
An estimated 60% of male discouraged job
seekers and 57% of female discouraged job
seekers reported that they intended to enter, or
might enter, the labour force in the next
12 months.
6.21 CIVILIAN POPULATION AGED 15–69, Labour Force Status
September
1993
September
1994
September
1995
September
1996
September
1997
September
1998
September
1999
’000 ’000 ’000 ’000 ’000 ’000 ’000
Persons in the labour force 8 744.6 8 875.5 9 057.0 9 183.1 9 225.4 9 442.9 9 568.3
Persons not in the labour force
With marginal attachment to
the labour force
Wanted to work and were
actively looking for work
Were available to start
work within four weeks 34.8 38.4 32.8 34.7 35.7 33.2 45.5
Were not available to
start work within four
weeks 23.5 22.9 31.0 23.3 17.6 25.5 19.7
Total 58.3 61.4 63.8 58.0 53.3 58.7 65.2
Wanted to work and were
available to start work
within 4 weeks, but not
actively looking for work.
Discouraged jobseekers 147.4 106.5 111.9 118.9 118.4 110.9 105.8
Other 702.0 605.5 687.1 702.6 718.7 753.0 712.2
Total 849.5 712.0 799.0 821.5 837.2 863.9 818.0
Total with marginal
attachment to the labour
force 907.8 773.3 862.8 879.6 890.5 922.6 883.2
Without marginal attachment
to the labour force(a) 2 769.8 2 789.7 2 703.5 2 735.8 2 803.7 2 716.1 2 829.2
Total persons not in the labour
force 3 677.5 3 563.0 3 566.3 3 615.4 3 694.2 3 638.8 3 712.4
Civilian population aged
15–69 12 422.1 12 438.5 12 623.3 12 798.5 12 919.6 13 081.6 13 280.7
(a) Includes persons who were permanently unable to work.
Source: Persons Not in the Labour Force, Australia (6220.0).