The ABS released the November 2017 employment data today. Overall, the rates remained steady at 5.4% but in trend and seasonally adjusted terms. But there are considerable differences across the states, and age groups. Female part-time work grew, while younger persons continued to struggle to find work.
Full-time employment grew by a further 15,000 persons in November, while part-time employment increased by 7,000 persons, underpinning a total increase in employment of 22,000 persons. Over the past year, trend employment increased by 3.1 per cent, which is above the average year-on-year growth over the past 20 years (1.9 per cent).
Trend underemployment rate decreased by 0.2 pts to 8.4% over the quarter and the underutilisation rate decreased by 0.3 pts to 13.8%; both quite high.
The unemployment rate was highest in WA at 6.2% and is still rising, while the lowest was in the ACT at 3.8% and falling. The rate was 4.6% in NSW, 5.7% in VIC, 5.8% in QLD and SA. TAS was 5.9% and NT 4.6%; all in trend terms.
The ABS said that overall employment increased 22,200 to 12,380,100, unemployment decreased 2,900 to 707,300, the participation rate increased less than 0.1 pts to 65.4% and the monthly hours worked in all jobs increased 3.8 million hours (0.2%) to 1,734.4 million hours.
