Unemployment rises to 10.3% in January – Under-employment down from record high in December

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Feb-16

A Roy Morgan Research survey on Australia’s labour market has found that the real unemployment rate was 10.3 per cent in January 2016. The number of people in the workforce has risen to a record 13,098,000 (up 471,000 since January 2015), and a record 11,752,000 Australians are employed (up 358,000 in the last 12 months). Meanwhile, the number of people who are under-employed has risen by 196,000 in the last 12 months to 1,229,000 (9.4 per cent of the workforce). The official unemployment rate was 5.8 per cent in December 2015. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says Australia’s outdated industrial relations laws and work practices can only be properly reformed if the "cash economy" is tackled at the same time – otherwise any efforts at IR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.

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

Jobless rate holds steady at 5.8pc, defying predictions

Original article by Stephen Cauchi
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 15-Jan-16

Official data shows that Australia’s unemployment rate was 5.8 per cent in December 2015, unchanged from November. The jobless rate had blown out to 6.2 per cent in September, before easing to 5.9 per cent in October. Most economists had expected the economy to shed about 10,000 jobs in December, but only 1,000 jobs were lost during the month. Capital Economics’ Paul Dales says the latest jobs data could provide support for the Australian dollar and the local sharemarket.

CORPORATES
CAPITAL ECONOMICS LIMITED,{SPAC}COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA,{SPAC}AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ,{SPAC}NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB,{SPAC}COMMONWEALTH SECURITIES LIMITED,{SPAC}RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA,{SPAC}AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Unemployment rises to 9.7% in December – Under-employment at record high

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.

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

Surprise job boom rules out rate cut

Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 11-Dec-15

Official data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the economy added 71,400 jobs in November 2015, while a total of 301,700 jobs have been created since the start of the year. The national unemployment rate has fallen to 5.8 per cent, while the unemployment rate in New South Wales has fallen to 5.2 per cent. Some 127,000 jobs have been created nationwide in the last two months, which may prompt the Reserve Bank to leave the cash rate on hold in February 2016.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, COMMONWEALTH SECURITIES LIMITED, BANK OF AMERICA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Employment at record high – 11.8 million Australians employed

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 7-Dec-15

A Roy Morgan Research survey on Australia’s labour market has found that the real unemployment rate was 9.2 per cent in November 2015. The number of people in the workforce now totals 12,954,000 (up 297,000 since November 2014), and a record 11,768,000 Australians are employed (up 372,000 since November 2014). Meanwhile, the number of people who are under-employed has risen by 119,000 in the last 12 months to a record 1,350,000 (10.4 per cent of the workforce). The official unemployment rate was 5.9 per cent in October 2015. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says that although Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has gained popular support amongst Australian electors, the L-NP has not gained majority support among young electors, and the employment situation for students over the next few months is crucial for the Federal Government.

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

In October: Real unemployment in Australia is 8.8% (up 0.5% in a month); but down 0.3% from a year ago (9.1%)

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 4-Nov-15

A Roy Morgan Research survey on Australia’s labour market has found that the real unemployment rate was 8.8 per cent in October 2015, compared with 9.1 per cent 12 months earlier. The number of people in the workforce now totals 12,663,000 (up 654,000 since October 2014), while the number of people who are under-employed has fallen by 29,000 in the last 12 months to 1,088,000 (8.6 per cent of the workforce). The official unemployment rate was 6.2 per cent in September 2015. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says the Federal Government’s main priority must be to eliminate the sizeable "cash economy" in Australia, which will free-up the labour market and have a much bigger impact on increasing productivity and employment growth than a simple increase in the GST.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, 7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, UNITED PETROLEUM PTY LTD, BAKER’S DELIGHT HOLDINGS LIMITED, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, NANDO’S AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SUBWAY SANDWICHES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Don’t trust the jobs data, says ex-chief statistician

Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Oct-15

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) veteran Bill McLennan has questioned the validity of the agency’s current methodology for compiling the monthly labour market survey. The ABS changed its methodology in 2014, but McLennan says the labour market data has little value because the old and new systems should have operated in tandem for a while to confirm the accuracy of the new system. The ABS’s David Kalisch is confident that there are no problems with the jobs data produced by the agency.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Australian September real unemployment 8.3% – lowest since May 2012

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Oct-15

A Roy Morgan Research survey on Australia’s labour market has found that the real unemployment rate was 8.3 per cent in September 2015, compared with 9.9 per cent 12 months earlier. The number of people in the workforce now totals 12,764,000 (up 540,000 since September 2014), while the number of people who are underemployed has fallen by 79,000 in the last 12 months to 936,000 (7.3 per cent of the workforce). The official unemployment rate was 6.2 per cent in August 2015. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says that while it appears that Australia’s employment market is heading in the right direction, it is obviously early days for the new Turnbull Government and the momentum of recent months must be built upon rather than squandered by policy timidity.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, 7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, UNITED PETROLEUM PTY LTD, BAKER’S DELIGHT HOLDINGS LIMITED, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, SUBWAY SANDWICHES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Coalition relief as jobless rate reduces

Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 11-Sep-15

Australia’s unemployment rate fell to 6.2 per cent in August 2015, from 6.3 per cent in July. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that employment rose by 17,400 jobs. Justin Fabo, a labour market expert at ANZ Bank, says the employment-to-population ratio rose in August, which suggests that the employment market is improving.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Senate split on China trade deal

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 21-Aug-15

The Australian Greens and four crossbench senators voted for a motion demanding the government change or abandon the China Australia Free Trade Agreement. Their opposition to the landmark deal in its present form put it at the mercy of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), which helped defeat the motion. But the ALP, under pressure from the trade unions, is insisting the Federal Government deliver on its promise to put Australian jobs first.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION