Australian unemployment unchanged at 9.2% in November – the first month after the end of the NSW and Victoria lockdowns

The latest Roy Morgan employment series data shows 1.33 million Australians were unemployed in November, up 10,000 on October (9.2% of the workforce), and 1.21 million Australians were under-employed, down 0.3% points to 8.3% of the workforce.

• Workforce increased by 178,000 to 14.52 million in November:
  The workforce in November was 14,517,000 (up 178,000 from October) – comprised of 13,187,000 employed Australians (up 168,000) and 1,330,000 unemployed Australians looking for work (up 10,000). It is important to understand that the workforce participation rate of Australians aged 14+ (68.6%) is 1.5% points higher now than it was prior to the pandemic in February 2020 (67.1%) with more Australians now both employed and unemployed than pre-pandemic.
• Employment in November increased to 13.19 million, full-time employment highest since June 2021:
  Australian employment increased 168,000 to 13,187,000 in November with full-time employment increasing by 51,000 to 8,789,000, its highest since June 2021 – before the outbreak of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in Sydney. Part-time employment was up by 117,000 to 4,398,000.
• Unemployment was virtually unchanged in November after the end of the long lockdowns:
  1,330,000 Australians were unemployed (9.2% of the workforce), up 10,000 from October. There was an increase in people looking for full-time work, up 111,000 to 582,000 while there was a significant drop in those looking for part-time work, down 101,000 to 748,000 as employment in part-time work increased by 117,000 – as mentioned above.

Roy Morgan Unemployment & Under-employment (2019-2021)

Source: Roy Morgan Single Source January 2019 – November 2021. Average monthly interviews 5,000.
Note: Roy Morgan unemployment estimates are actual data while the ABS estimates are seasonally adjusted.

Roy Morgan’s unemployment figure of 9.2% for November is 4% points higher than the current ABS estimate for October 2021 of 5.2%.

However, the ABS figure for October counts as employed an additional 189,200 Australians who were working zero hours for ‘economic reasons’ and 199,700 Australians who were working zero hours for ‘other reasons’ – such as being forced out of work by mandatory lockdowns.

If these 388,900 non-workers are added back the ABS unemployment estimate for October increases to 1.1 million (8.1%). The ABS also claims there are 1.29 million Australians (9.5%) under-employed for a total of over 2.39 million unemployed or under-employed (17.6% of the workforce) – a similar estimate to the latest Roy Morgan unemployment and under-employment estimate of 17.8%.

• Under-employment was down in November as part-time employment increased:
  In addition to those who were unemployed, 1.21 million Australians (8.3% of the workforce) were under-employed – working part-time but looking for more work, a decrease of 21,000 (down 0.3% points) from October. In total 2.54 million Australians (17.5% of the workforce) were either unemployed or under-employed in November, a small decrease of 11,000 on October.

Compared to early March 2020, before the nation-wide lockdown was implemented, in November 2021 there were over 375,000 more Australians either unemployed or under-employed (+1.9% points) even though overall employment (13,187,000) is higher than it was pre-COVID-19 (12,872,000).

Michele Levine, CEO Roy Morgan, says employment growth resumed in November, after the end of long lockdowns in NSW, Victoria, and the ACT, through remains below its level in June when the Sydney outbreak began:

Roy Morgan Unemployed and ‘Under-employed’* Estimates

Roy Morgan Unemployed and ‘Under-employed’* Estimates

*Workforce includes those employed and those looking for work – the unemployed.

This Roy Morgan survey on Australia’s unemployment and ‘under-employed’* is based on weekly interviews of 797,592 Australians aged 14 and over between January 2007 and November 2021 and includes 6,032 telephone and online interviews in November 2021. *The ‘under-employed’ are those people who are in part-time work or freelancers who are looking for more work.

Contact Roy Morgan to learn more about Australia’s unemployed and under-employed; who and where they are, and the challenges they face as they search for employment opportunities.

Visit the Roy Morgan Online Store to purchase employment profiles, including for Australians who are employed, unemployed, under-employed, employed part-time, employed full-time, retired, studying and many more.

Roy Morgan Research cf. ABS Unemployment Estimates

Source: Roy Morgan Single Source October 2006 – November 2021. Average monthly interviews 4,000.
Note: Roy Morgan unemployment estimates are actual data while the ABS estimates are seasonally adjusted.

Roy Morgan Research cf. ABS Unemployment Estimates

Source: Roy Morgan Single Source January 2000 – November 2021. Average monthly interviews 4,000.
Note: Roy Morgan unemployment estimates are actual data while the ABS estimates are seasonally adjusted.

Source: Roy Morgan Single Source April 1995 – November 2021. Average monthly interviews 4,000.
Note: Roy Morgan unemployment estimates are actual data while the ABS estimates are seasonally adjusted.