Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 4-Jan-16

A Roy Morgan Research survey on Australia’s labour market has found that the real unemployment rate was 9.7 per cent in December 2015, compared with 9.2 per cent in November. The number of people in the workforce now totals 13,007,000 (up 106,000 since December 2014), and 11,751,000 Australians are employed (up 252,000 since December 2014). Meanwhile, the number of people who are under-employed has risen by 188,000 in the last 12 months, to a record 1,434,000 (11 per cent of the workforce). The official unemployment rate was 5.8 per cent in November 2015. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says the key point for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and the Coalition Government as they contemplate when to hold the Federal Election is how to properly manage the Australian economy to ensure growth and provide jobs for the growing workforce. Changing industrial relations laws and work practices can only be effective if the "cash economy" is tackled at the same time – otherwise any efforts at IR reform will be of limited benefit as Government revenue increases will be negligible.

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ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET