Australia – January labour market replace – rising employment and participation sees underutilisation rise modestly


At this time (February 20, 2025), the Australian Bureau of Statistics launched the most recent – Labour Power, Australia – for January 2025. Employment progress was comparatively sturdy and targeting full-time employment, which is an efficient signal. It was, nonetheless, unable to maintain tempo with the underlying inhabitants progress and the rising participation price and because of this the unemployment price rose by a degree. Had the participation price not risen by 0.2 factors, the unemployment price would have been 3.9 per cent slightly than the official price of 4.1 per cent. We must always not disregard the truth that there’s nonetheless 10.1 per cent of the working age inhabitants (over 1.5 million folks) who can be found and keen 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 Power (seasonally adjusted) estimates for January 2024 are:

  • Employment rose 44,000 (0.3 per cent) – full-time employment rose by 54,100 thousand (0.5 per cent) and part-time employment fell by 10.1 thousand (-0.2 per cent). Half-time share of complete was 30.6 per cent.
  • Unemployment rose 23,400 to 627,500 individuals.
  • The official unemployment price rose 0.1 level to 4.1 per cent.
  • The participation price rose 0.2 factors to 67.3 per cent.
  • The employment-population ratio rose 0.1 level to 64.6 per cent.
  • Mixture month-to-month hours fell 7 million hours (-0.4 per cent).
  • Underemployment price was secure at 6 per cent – underemployment rose 6.4 thousand. General there are 914.3 thousand underemployed staff. The overall labour underutilisation price (unemployment plus underemployment) rose 0.2 factors to 10.1 per cent. There have been a complete of 1,541.8 thousand staff both unemployed or underemployed.

The ABS Media Launch (February 20, 2025) – Unemployment price rises to 4.1% as participation grows – famous that:

The seasonally adjusted unemployment price rose by 0.1 proportion level to 4.1 per cent in January …

With employment rising by 44,000 folks and the variety of unemployed growing by 23,000 folks, the unemployment price rose to 4.1 per cent …

The rises in each the variety of folks employed and unemployed noticed the participation price rise by 0.1 proportion level, to a brand new document excessive of 67.3 per cent. This was 0.8 proportion factors greater than a yr in the past and 1.8 proportion factors greater than March 2020 …

Among the enhance in unemployment mirrored extra folks than traditional with jobs in January who had been ready to begin or return to work …

The employment-to-population ratio rose 0.1 proportion level to a brand new document of 64.6 per cent …

The underemployment price remained at 6.0 per cent in January 2025. This was 0.7 proportion factors decrease than January 2024, and a pair of.7 proportion factors decrease than March 2020.

The underutilisation price, which mixes the unemployment and underemployment charges, rose 0.1 proportion level to 10.1 per cent …

Basic conclusion:

1. Employment progress was comparatively sturdy and targeting full-time employment, which is an efficient signal.

2. Employment progress was unable to maintain tempo with the underlying inhabitants progress and the rising participation price and because of this the unemployment price rose by a degree.

3. Had the participation price not risen by 0.2 factors, the unemployment price would have been 3.9 per cent slightly than the official price of 4.1 per cent.

Employment rose 44,000 (0.3 per cent) in January 2024

1. Full-time employment rose by 54,100 thousand (0.5 per cent) and part-time employment fell by 10.1 thousand (-0.2 per cent).

2. The employment-population ratio rose 0.1 level to 64.6 per cent.

The next graph present the month by month progress in complete, full-time, and part-time employment for the 24 months to January 2024 utilizing seasonally adjusted knowledge.

Australia – January labour market replace – rising employment and participation sees underutilisation rise modestly

The next desk gives an accounting abstract of the labour market efficiency over the past six months to offer an extended perspective that cuts via the month-to-month variability and gives a greater evaluation of the developments.

Given the variation within the labour pressure estimates, it’s generally 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 price, which is delicate to these labour pressure swings.

The next graph reveals the Employment-to-Inhabitants ratio, since April 2008 (that’s, because the GFC).

The employment-to-population ratio has now reached its highest degree on document.

For perspective, the next graph reveals 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, for 2023, the typical change was 31 thousand, and for 2024, the typical month-to-month change was 37 thousand.

3. The common (to this point) for 2025 (one commentary) is 44 thousand – a brighter begin in comparison with final yr.

The next graph reveals the typical month-to-month modifications in Full-time and Half-time employment in 1000’s since 1980.

Mixture month-to-month hours fell 7.3 million or 0.37 per cent

The next graph reveals the month-to-month progress (in per cent) over the past 24 months.

The darkish linear line is a straightforward regression development of the month-to-month change.

Unemployment rose 23,400 to 627,500 individuals in January 2024

The comparatively sturdy employment progress couldn’t sustain with the underlying inhabitants progress and the rising participation price and because of this unemployment rose.

See under for the participation impact.

The next graph reveals the nationwide unemployment price from April 1980 to January 2024. The longer time-series helps body some perspective to what’s taking place at current.

What was the influence of the rising participation price on unemployment in January 2025

The query is what would the unemployment price have been, given the numerous employment progress in January, if the participation price had not risen and dragged extra staff in to the labour pressure?

These ideas assist us reply one of these query:

  • The labour pressure is a subset of the working-age inhabitants (these above 15 years previous). The proportion of the working-age inhabitants that constitutes the labour pressure is named the labour pressure participation price. Thus modifications within the labour pressure can influence on the official unemployment price, and, because of this, actions within the latter should be interpreted fastidiously. A rising unemployment price could not point out a recessing economic system.
  • The labour pressure can broaden on account of common inhabitants progress and/or will increase within the labour pressure participation charges (and vice versa).

The next Desk reveals the breakdown within the modifications to the principle aggregates (Labour Power, Employment and Unemployment) and the influence of the autumn within the participation price.

The change within the labour pressure in January 2025 was the result of two separate elements:

  • The underlying inhabitants progress added 29.8 thousand individuals to the labour pressure. The inhabitants progress influence on the labour pressure combination is comparatively regular from month to month; and
  • The rise within the participation price meant that there have been 37.6 thousand MORE staff getting into the labour pressure (relative to what would have occurred had the participation price remained unchanged).
  • The web outcome was that the labour pressure rose by 67.4 thousand.

Evaluation:

1. If the participation price had not have risen in January 2025, complete unemployment, given the present employment degree, would have been 589.9 thousand slightly than the official rely of 627.5 thousand as recorded by the ABS – a distinction of 37.6 thousand staff (the ‘participation impact’).

2. With out the rise within the participation price, the official unemployment price would have been 3.9 per cent (rounded) slightly than its present official worth of 4.1 per cent).

Broad labour underutilisation rose 0.2 factors to 10.1 per cent in January 2024

1. Underemployment price was secure at 6 per cent – underemployment rose 6.4 thousand.

2. General there are 914.3 thousand underemployed staff.

3. The overall labour underutilisation price (unemployment plus underemployment) rose 0.2 factors to 10.1 per cent.

4. There have been a complete of 1,541.8 thousand staff both unemployed or underemployed.

Evaluation:

The rising participation drove the rise in unemployment whereas underemployment was secure.

The next graph plots the seasonally-adjusted underemployment price in Australia from April 1980 to the January 2024 (blue line) and the broad underutilisation price over the identical interval (inexperienced line).

The distinction between the 2 traces is the unemployment price.

Teenage labour market – modest enchancment in January 2024

General teenage employment rose by 3.7 thousand with full-time employment rising by 9.3 thousand and part-time employment declining by 5.6 thousand.

The next Desk reveals 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 dimension within the inhabitants) the next graph reveals the Employment-Inhabitants ratios for males, females and complete 15-19 yr olds since July 2008.

You’ll be able to 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 0.1 level over the month.

2. The feminine ratio rose 0.4 factors over the month.

3. The general teenage employment-population ratio rose 0.1 level over the month.

Conclusion

My commonplace month-to-month warning: we all the time must watch out decoding month to month actions given the best way the Labour Power Survey is constructed and carried out.

My general evaluation is:

1. Employment progress was comparatively sturdy and targeting full-time employment, which is an efficient signal.

2. Employment progress was unable to maintain tempo with the underlying inhabitants progress and the rising participation price and because of this the unemployment price rose by a degree.

3. Had the participation price not risen by 0.2 factors, the unemployment price would have been 3.9 per cent slightly than the official price of 4.1 per cent.

3. We must always not disregard the truth that there’s nonetheless 10.1 per cent of the working age inhabitants (over 1.5 million folks) who can be found and keen 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 right now!

(c) Copyright 2025 William Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.

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