At this time (January 16, 2025), the Australian Bureau of Statistics launched the most recent – Labour Drive, Australia – for December 2024. Employment progress was comparatively sturdy however focused on part-time employment, which suggests the standard of employment fell. Employment progress was additionally unable to maintain tempo with the underlying inhabitants progress and the rising participation charge and in consequence the unemployment charge rose by some extent. We must always not disregard the truth that there may be nonetheless near 10 per cent of the working age inhabitants (over 1.5 million folks) who can be found and prepared however can’t discover sufficient work – both unemployed or underemployed and that proportion is growing. Australia is just not close to full employment regardless of the claims by the mainstream commentators and it’s onerous to characterise this as a ‘tight’ labour market.
The abstract ABS Labour Drive (seasonally adjusted) estimates for December 2024 are:
- Employment rose 56,300 (0.4 per cent) – full-time employment fell by 23.7 thousand (-0.2 per cent) and part-time employment rose by 80 thousand (1.8 per cent). Half-time share of complete was 30.6 per cent.
- Unemployment rose 10,300 to 604,100 individuals.
- The official unemployment charge rose 0.1 level to 4 per cent.
- The participation charge rose 0.2 factors to 67.1 per cent.
- The employment-population ratio rose 0.1 level to 64.5 per cent (rounded).
- Combination month-to-month hours rose by 10.4 million hours (0.53 per cent).
- Underemployment charge fell 0.1 level to six per cent – underemployment fell by 9.5 thousand. General there are 907.8 thousand underemployed staff. The overall labour underutilisation charge (unemployment plus underemployment) was steady at 9.95 per cent. There have been a complete of 1511.9 thousand staff both unemployed or underemployed.
The ABS Media Launch (January 16, 2025) – Unemployment charge rises to 4.0% in December – famous that:
The seasonally adjusted unemployment charge rose by 0.1 proportion level to 4.0 per cent in December …
With employment rising by 56,000 folks and the variety of unemployed growing by 10,000 folks, the unemployment charge rose to 4.0 per cent …
The employment-to-population ratio rose 0.1 proportion level to a brand new report of 64.5 per cent. This was 0.5 proportion factors greater than a yr in the past and a couple of.3 proportion factors greater than earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic …
The rise in each the variety of folks employed and unemployed additionally noticed an extra rise within the participation charge, that’s the proportion of the inhabitants who’re employed or unemployed …
The underemployment charge fell 0.1 proportion level to six.0 per cent in December 202 …
Common conclusion:
1. Employment progress was a lot stronger this month however the progress was confined to part-time work, whereas full-time employment fell considerably.
2. Nevertheless, employment progress nonetheless couldn’t hold tempo with the underlying inhabitants progress and the rising participation charge.
2. The twin incidence of rising employment and participation is often signal however I qualify that by the truth that all the expansion was in part-time jobs (most likely servicing the Xmas rush within the service sector).
Employment rose 56,300 (0.4 per cent) in December 2024
1. Full-time employment fell by 23.7 thousand (-0.2 per cent) and part-time employment rose by 80 thousand (1.8 per cent).
2. The employment-population ratio rose 0.1 level to 64.5 per cent (rounded). Bear in mind this ratio doesn’t discriminate between full- and part-time work.
The next graph present the month by month progress in complete, full-time, and part-time employment for the 24 months to December 2024 utilizing seasonally adjusted information.
The next desk gives an accounting abstract of the labour market efficiency during the last six months to supply an extended perspective that cuts by the month-to-month variability and gives a greater evaluation of the developments.
Given the variation within the labour pressure estimates, it’s typically helpful to look at the Employment-to-Inhabitants ratio (%) as a result of the underlying inhabitants estimates (denominator) are much less cyclical and topic to variation than the labour pressure estimates. That is an alternate measure of the robustness of exercise to the unemployment charge, which is delicate to these labour pressure swings.
The next graph exhibits the Employment-to-Inhabitants ratio, since April 2008 (that’s, for the reason that GFC).
The employment-to-population ratio continues to be demonstrating stability with minor fluctuations across the present degree.
For perspective, the next graph exhibits the typical month-to-month employment change for the calendar years from 1980 to 2024.
1. The common employment change over 2020 was -10.5 thousand which rose to 36.3 thousand in 2021 because the lockdowns eased.
2. For 2022, the typical month-to-month change was 45.1 thousand, and for 2023, the typical change was 31 thousand.
3. For 2024, the typical month-to-month change was 37 thousand.
The next graph exhibits the typical month-to-month modifications in Full-time and Half-time employment in hundreds since 1980.
Combination month-to-month hours rose 10.3 million or 0.53 per cent
The next graph exhibits the month-to-month progress (in per cent) during the last 48 months (with the pandemic restriction interval omitted).
The darkish linear line is a straightforward regression development of the month-to-month change.
Unemployment rose 10,300 to 604,100 individuals in December 2024
The comparatively sturdy employment progress couldn’t sustain with the underlying inhabitants progress and the rising participation charge and in consequence unemployment rose.
The next graph exhibits the nationwide unemployment charge from April 1980 to December 2024. The longer time-series helps body some perspective to what’s taking place at current.
Broad labour underutilisation was steady at 9.95 per cent in December 2024
1. Underemployment charge fell 0.1 level to six per cent – underemployment fell by 9.5 thousand.
2. General there are 907.8 thousand underemployed staff.
3. The overall labour underutilisation charge (unemployment plus underemployment) was steady at 9.95 per cent.
4. There have been a complete of 1511.9 thousand staff both unemployed or underemployed.
Evaluation:
Mainly, the small improve in unemployment was offset by the small decline in underemployment.
The next graph plots the seasonally-adjusted underemployment charge in Australia from April 1980 to the December 2024 (blue line) and the broad underutilisation charge over the identical interval (inexperienced line).
The distinction between the 2 strains is the unemployment charge.
Teenage labour market deteriorates additional in December 2024
General teenage employment fell by 23.5 thousand with full-time employment falling by 14.0 thousand.
The next Desk exhibits the distribution of web employment creation within the final month and the final 12 months by full-time/part-time standing and age/gender class (15-19 yr olds and the remaining).
To place the teenage employment scenario in a scale context (relative to their measurement within the inhabitants) the next graph exhibits the Employment-Inhabitants ratios for males, females and complete 15-19 yr olds since July 2008.
You may interpret this graph as depicting the change in employment relative to the underlying inhabitants of every cohort.
By way of the latest dynamics:
1. The male ratio fell 0.6 factors over the month.
2. The feminine ratio fell 2.4 factors over the month.
3. The general teenage employment-population ratio fell 1.5 factors over the month.
Conclusion
My normal month-to-month warning: we at all times should watch out decoding month to month actions given the best way the Labour Drive Survey is constructed and applied.
My total evaluation is:
1. Employment progress was comparatively sturdy however focused on part-time employment, which suggests the standard of employment fell.
2. Employment progress was unable to maintain tempo witht he underlying inhabitants progress and the rising participation charge and in consequence the unemployment charge rose by some extent.
3. We must always not disregard the truth that there may be nonetheless near 10 per cent of the working age inhabitants (over 1.5 million folks) who can be found and prepared however can’t discover sufficient work – both unemployed or underemployed and that proportion is growing.
5. Australia is just not close to full employment regardless of the claims by the mainstream commentators and it’s onerous to characterise this as a ‘tight’ labour market.
That’s sufficient for at the moment!
(c) Copyright 2025 William Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.