FEBRUARY KEY FIGURES

Jan 2016 Feb 2016 Jan 16 to Feb 16 Feb 15 to Feb 16 Trend Employed persons ('000) 11 891.8 11 903.1 11.4 2.3 % Unemployed persons ('000) 737.3 736.6 -0.7 -4.1 % Unemployment rate (%) 5.8 5.8 0.0 pts -0.4 pts Participation rate (%) 65.1 65.1 0.0 pts 0.3 pts Seasonally Adjusted Employed persons ('000) 11 883.8 11 884.0 0.3 2.1 % Unemployed persons ('000) 759.9 732.6 -27.3 -5.9 % Unemployment rate (%) 6.0 5.8 -0.2 pts -0.5 pts Participation rate (%) 65.1 64.9 -0.2 pts 0.1 pts

Employed Persons



Unemployment Rate









FEBRUARY KEY POINTS





TREND ESTIMATES (MONTHLY CHANGE)

Employment increased 11,400 to 11,903,100.

Unemployment decreased 700 to 736,600.

Unemployment rate remained steady at 5.8%.

Participation rate remained steady at 65.1% from a revised January 2016 estimate.

Monthly hours worked in all jobs increased 2.5 million hours to 1,653.6 million hours.



SEASONALLY ADJUSTED ESTIMATES (MONTHLY CHANGE)

Employment increased 300 to 11,884,000. Full-time employment increased 15,900 to 8,192,600 and part-time employment decreased 15,600 to 3,691,500.

Unemployment decreased 27,300 to 732,600. The number of unemployed persons looking for full-time work decreased 18,200 to 525,200 and the number of unemployed persons only looking for part-time work decreased 9,100 to 207,400.

Unemployment rate decreased 0.2 pts to 5.8%.

Participation rate decreased 0.2 pts to 64.9%.

Monthly hours worked in all jobs decreased 2.0 million hours to 1,652.6 million hours.



LABOUR UNDERUTILISATION (QUARTERLY CHANGE)

Trend estimates: The labour force underutilisation rate decreased 0.1 pts to 14.2%.

Seasonally adjusted estimates: The labour force underutilisation rate decreased 0.1 pts to 14.2%. The male labour force underutilisation rate decreased 0.1 pts to 12.3%. The female labour force underutilisation rate decreased 0.3 pts to 16.4%, based on unrounded estimates.



NOTES



FORTHCOMING ISSUES

ISSUE Release Date March 2016 14 April 2016 April 2016 19 May 2016 May 2016 16 June 2016 June 2016 14 July 2016 July 2016 18 August 2016 August 2016 15 September 2016





WHAT'S NEW IN THE LABOUR FORCE



For details regarding the regular update of seasonal adjustment processes and the publication of quarterly rebenchmarked data, refer to the "What's new in the Labour Force" on page 8. This issue also provides an update on online collection in the Labour Force Survey.





ROUNDING



Estimates of changes shown on the front cover and used in the commentary have been calculated using unrounded estimates, and may be different from, but are more accurate than, movement obtained from the rounded estimates. The graphs on the front cover also depict unrounded estimates.





SAMPLING ERROR



The estimates in this publication are based on a sample survey. Published estimates and movements are subject to sampling variability. Standard errors give a measure of sampling variability. The interval bounded by two standard errors is the 95% confidence interval, which provides a way of looking at the variability inherent in estimates. There is a 95% chance that the true value of the estimate lies within that interval.

For details regarding the regular update of seasonal adjustment processes and the publication of quarterly rebenchmarked data, refer to the "What's new in the Labour Force" on page 8. This issue also provides an update on online collection in the Labour Force Survey.Estimates of changes shown on the front cover and used in the commentary have been calculated using unrounded estimates, and may be different from, but are more accurate than, movement obtained from the rounded estimates. The graphs on the front cover also depict unrounded estimates.The estimates in this publication are based on a sample survey. Published estimates and movements are subject to sampling variability. Standard errors give a measure of sampling variability. The interval bounded by two standard errors is the 95% confidence interval, which provides a way of looking at the variability inherent in estimates. There is a 95% chance that the true value of the estimate lies within that interval. MOVEMENTS IN SEASONALLY ADJUSTED SERIES BETWEEN JANUARY 2016 AND FEBRUARY 2016 Monthly change 95% Confidence interval Total Employment 300 -58 100 to 58 700 Total Unemployment -27 300 -67 100 to 12 500 Unemployment rate -0.2 pts -0.6 pts to 0.2 pts Participation rate -0.2 pts -0.6 pts to 0.2 pts





INQUIRIES



For further information about these and related statistics, email client.services@abs.gov.au or contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.







For further information about these and related statistics, email client.services@abs.gov.au or contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.