Employment at record high but over 2.5m looking for more work

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Apr-18

A Roy Morgan survey shows that 1.21 million Australians were unemployed (8.9% of the workforce) in March 2018, a decrease of 26,000 (down 0.4%) on a year ago. In addition, 1.36 million Australians (10.0% of the workforce) are now under-employed, working part-time and looking for more work, a rise of 258,000 in a year (up 1.6%). The figures also show that a record 12,374,000 Australians were employed in March – an increase of 399,000 over the last year. Roy Morgan’s real unemployment figure of 8.9% for March is substantially higher than the current ABS estimate for February 2018 of 5.6%. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says that given the large number of Australians directly, or even indirectly impacted, by unemployment and under-employment it is no surprise that issues relating to unemployment, job security and the search for jobs is one of the key issues Australians mention unprompted when asked about the biggest problem facing Australia in early in 2018.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Australians back at work in February, full-time employment hits record

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 12-Mar-18

A Roy Morgan survey shows 1.31 million Australians were unemployed in February (9.7% of the workforce); an increase of 57,000 (up 0.3%) on a year ago. In addition 1.21 million Australians (10.2% of the workforce) are now under-employed, working part-time and looking for more work, a rise of 73,000 in a year (up 0.4%). The same survey also showed that 12,228,000 Australians were employed in February – an increase of 133,000 over the past year equal to an average of just over 10,000 jobs added per month. The increase in employment year on year was driven entirely by an increase in full-time employment which rose 249,000 to a record high 8,153,000 while part-time employment fell 116,000 to 4,075,000. Roy Morgan real unemployment figures of 9.7% for February are substantially higher than the current ABS estimate for January 2018 of 5.5%.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

2.59m Australians unemployed or under-employed in January

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Feb-18

A Roy Morgan survey shows that 1.219 million Australians were unemployed (9.1% of the workforce) in January 2018, a decrease of 76,000 (down 0.6%) on a year ago. In addition, 1.371 million Australians (10.2% of the workforce) were under-employed, working part-time and looking for more work, a rise of 264,000 in a year. In total, 2.59 million Australians were unemployed or under-employed in January. The figures also show that 12,236,000 Australians were employed in January – an increase of 116,000 over the past year. The Roy Morgan real unemployment figures are substantially higher than the current ABS estimate of 5.5% for December 2017. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says jobs growth in calendar year 2017 was driven entirely by growth in part-time employment, which may partly explain why Australians do not believe that the monthly ABS unemployment estimates are accurate.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

2.6m Australians unemployed or under-employed in December

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 12-Jan-18

A Roy Morgan survey shows that 1.312 million Australians were unemployed (9.8% of the workforce) in December 2017, an increase of 126,000 (up 0.6%) on a year ago. In addition, 1.288 million Australians (9.6% of the workforce) are now under-employed, working part-time and looking for more work, a rise of 188,000 in a year. The figures also show that 12,098,000 Australians were employed in December, an increase of 392,000 over the past year. The Roy Morgan real unemployment figures are substantially higher than the current ABS estimate of 5.4% for November. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says more than 2 million Australians have been either unemployed or under-employed for 27 straight months stretching back to late 2015, and until the Government undertakes significant industrial relations reform to cut red tape, target the rorts of the "cash economy" and provide the proper incentives for employers to take on new employees, Australian wage growth will continue to lag expectations and historical averages.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

2.394m Australians unemployed or under-employed in November

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Dec-17

A Roy Morgan survey shows that 1.288 million Australians were unemployed (9.8% of the workforce) in November 2017, an increase of 89,000 (up 0.6%) on a year ago. In addition, 1.106 million Australians (8.4% of the workforce) were under-employed, working part-time and looking for more work, a rise of 6,000 in a year. In total, 2.394 million Australians were unemployed or under-employed in November. The figures also show that 11,886,000 Australians were employed in November – an increase of 39,000 over the past year. The Roy Morgan real unemployment figures are substantially higher than the current ABS estimate of 5.4% for October. Roy Morgan executive chairman Gary Morgan says it has now been more than two years, or 26 straight months, that more than two million Australians have been unemployed or under-employed. It is this "slack" in the Australian labour market that is responsible for the low wage growth mentioned by the RBA this week in their Statement explaining their decision to leave interest rates unchanged at 1.5%.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Governments, Treasury officials and RBA forecasters all work in sheltered workshops

Original article by P.D Jonson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 34 : 29-Nov-17

In developed nations, governments have opted for definitions of unemployment that make things look better than they really are. For over a decade, Roy Morgan (and myself) have been pointing this out. The latest Roy Morgan survey shows 2.3 million Australians unemployed or underemployed. In percentages of the workforce, this is 9.5 per cent unemployed and 8.5 per cent under-employed, well above the official 5.4 per cent unemployment figure. Hardly shooting the lights out. One might be tempted to imagine that governments, Treasury officials and RBA forecasters all work in sheltered workshops and are the last to accept messages that run against their workshop’s findings. Indeed, their proven blindness has larger consequences. Click for PDF version.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Australia’s real unemployment is up to 10.2% in August

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Sep-17

A Roy Morgan survey shows that 1.324 million Australians were unemployed (10.2% of the workforce) in August 2017. This is similar to a year ago (down 8,000, or 0.2%). However, more Australians are now under-employed than this time last year; 1.241 million (9.5%) Australians are looking for work or looking for more work), up a significant 324,000 (2.4%) in a year. In total, 2.565 million (19.7%) Australians were unemployed or under-employed in August – the 23rd straight month more than 2 million Australians were looking for work or looking for more work. The figures also show that 11,685,000 Australians were employed in August – an increase of 162,000 over the past year (an average of 13,500 jobs added per month). The Roy Morgan real unemployment figures are substantially higher than the current ABS estimate for July (5.6%). Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says the large increase in part-time jobs over the last year (up 535,000 or about 45,000 per month) obscures the loss of full-time jobs (down 373,000, just over 30,000 per month).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Australia’s real unemployment is 9.4% in July; down 1.1% from a year ago

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 7-Aug-17

A Roy Morgan survey shows that 11,854,000 Australians were employed in July 2017, a substantial increase of 212,000 over the past year (with just under 20,000 jobs added per month). A total of 1.236 million Australians were unemployed in July (9.4% of the workforce). This is down 129,000 (1.1%) from a year ago. An additional 1.226 million Australians (9.4%) were under-employed (looking for work or looking for more work), which is up 55,000 (0.4%). A total of 2.462 million Australians (or 18.8%) were unemployed or under-employed in July. The Roy Morgan real unemployment figures are substantially higher than the current ABS estimate for June 2017 (5.6%). Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says that finding work for the 2.462 million Australians who are unemployed or under-employed is the Government’s largest challenge, despite what the media may talk about on a continual basis. This large cohort of Australians looking for new employment opportunities will ultimately judge the Government’s success or otherwise based on whether an improving economy is generating sufficient jobs.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

It’s official: June employment is at a record high of 12,330,000

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 10-Jul-17

A Roy Morgan survey on unemployment and under-employment shows that the total Australian workforce was a record 13,530,000 in June 2017 (up 540,000 in 12 months) and employment grew to a record 12,330,000 (up a large 587,000). The number of Australians who were unemployed and looking for work was 1,200,000 (down 47,000), while 1.445 million were under-employed (10.7% of the workforce). A total of 2.645 million Australians (19.6% of the workforce) were looking for work or looking for more work. Australia’s real unemployment for June was 8.9%, compared with the official Australian Bureau of Statistics figure of 5.5% for May. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says June was the 21st straight month more than two million Australians have been looking for work or looking for more work and is a concern ahead of the imminent closure of the Australian automotive manufacturing industry in three months.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Over 2.6 million Australians were unemployed or under-employed in May

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 13-Jun-17

Australia’s real unemployment rate was 9.8% (1.284 million Australians looking for work) in May 2017. In addition 1.338 million Australians were under-employed (10.2% of the workforce). This is a total of 2.622 million Australians (20% of the workforce) looking for work or looking for more work. In May the total Australian workforce was 13,074,000 (up 291,000 in 12 months) and employment grew to 11,790,000 (up 376,000). However, the increase in employment was almost entirely driven by a large increase in part-time employment, which rose 346,000 to 4,238,000. Full-time employment rose a modest 30,000 to 7,552,000. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says last week’s Fair Work Commission decisions to increase the minimum wage by $22 per week (+3.3%) and partly defer cuts to Sunday penalty rates over three years instead of now have dealt a significant blow to the prospect of more jobs for Australia’s unemployed and under-employed.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS