Australian full-time employment hit a record high above 8.9 million in February as unemployment falls 0.6% to 10.1%
In February unemployment dropped 0.6% points to 10.1%, according to the latest Roy Morgan employment series data. Unemployment dropped due to the 99,000 new jobs created in the month with both full-time and part-time work increasing for the first time since September 2022.
Unemployment in February dropped 86,000 to 1.52 million Australians (10.1% of the workforce) and under-employment was down 59,000 to 1.37 million (9.1% of the workforce). Overall unemployment and under-employment dropped by 145,000 to 2.89 million (19.2% of the workforce).
- Employment was up in February as full-time employment increased to a new record high:
Australian employment increased by 99,000 to 13,517,000 in February. The increase was driven by an increase in full-time employment, up 48,000 to a new record high of 8,949,000 while part-time employment also increased, up 51,000 to 4,568,000.
- Unemployment dropped in February with fewer people looking for full-time and part-time work:
1,521,000 Australians were unemployed (10.1% of the workforce) in February, a decrease of 86,000 from January with fewer people looking for full-time work, down 42,000 to 602,000 and fewer people looking for part-time work, down 44,000 to 919,000.
- The workforce increased marginally to a record high of over 15 million in February:
The workforce in February was 15,038,000 (up 13,000 from January) – comprised of 13,517,000 employed Australians (up 99,000) and 1,521,000 unemployed Australians looking for work (down 86,000).
- Overall unemployment and under-employment drops 1% point in February to 19.2%:
In addition to the unemployed, 1.37 million Australians (9.1% of the workforce, down 0.4% points) were under-employed – working part-time but looking for more work, down 59,000 from January.
In total 2.89 million Australians (19.2% of the workforce) were either unemployed or under-employed in February, down by 145,000 from January. The movements in February partially reversed the spike higher during January when combined unemployment and under-employment increased by 288,000.
Compared to early March 2020, before the nation-wide lockdown, in February 2023 there were more than 700,000 more Australians either unemployed or under-employed (+3.6% points) even though overall employment (13,517,000) is over 600,000 higher than it was pre-COVID-19 (12,872,000).
Roy Morgan’s under-employment figure of 9.1% is 3% points higher than the ABS estimate of 6.1% for January. However, the ABS figures for January show there were 435,700 workers who worked fewer hours than usual (or zero hours) due to illness, personal injury or sick leave compared to an average of 357,520 for the month of January over the five years from January 2017 – January 2021.
This difference in the numbers of people who worked fewer hours (or zero hours) due to illness, personal injury or sick leave, which can be put down to the highly infectious Omicron variant of COVID-19, equates to a difference of 78,180 in January 2023 above the pre-pandemic average for the month of January. If these workers are added to the approximately 876,000 workers, the ABS classifies as under-employed this creates a total of 954,180 – equivalent to 6.7% of the workforce.
When the ABS unemployed (3.7% of the workforce, 523,200 workers) and this larger than usual level of under-employed (6.7% of the workforce, approximately 954,180 workers) are combined these figures add to 1.48 million workers, around 10.4% of the workforce – just over half of the comparable Roy Morgan figure.
Roy Morgan Unemployment & Under-employment (2019-2023)
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source January 2019 – February 2023. Average monthly interviews 5,000.
Note: Roy Morgan unemployment estimates are actual data while the ABS estimates are seasonally adjusted.
Michele Levine, CEO Roy Morgan, says unemployment and under-employment were both down slightly in February but the combined figure of 2.89 million (19.2% of the workforce) is over 500,000 higher than a year ago in February 2022 of 2.36 million (16.3%):
“The latest Roy Morgan employment estimates for February show unemployment down 86,000 to 1,521,000 (10.1%, down 0.6% points). The decline in unemployment is good news but the measure is still significantly higher than a year ago – almost 300,000 more Australians are now unemployed than in February 2022 – 1,227,000 (8.5% of the workforce).
“Under-employment in February was 1,367,000 (9.1% of the workforce), down 59,000 on January, but more than 200,000 higher than a year ago in February 2022 – 1,130,000 (7.8% of the workforce). These figures show that although there was positive movement in the underlying figures in February, the longer-term trends show considerably higher unemployment and under-employment than a year ago.
“Compared to a year ago, the increased immigration and faster population growth than during the pandemic effected years of 2020-22, is boosting figures across the workforce. The workforce has grown rapidly over the last year and is up 595,000 to 15,038,000 driven by both an increase in jobs, up 301,000 to 13,517,000, and a similar-sized increased in unemployment, up 294,000 to 1,521,000.
“The biggest impact has occurred during the last six months as inward immigration to Australia has increased substantially and almost all COVID-19 pandemic related restrictions ended in late 2022. Since October 14, 2022, there has been no mandatory isolation for anyone with COVID-19 and no ‘Pandemic Leave Disaster Payments’ available to those forced into mandatory isolation.
“The ending of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions means there is no longer any incentive for COVID positive people to take time off work due to a positive COVID test and no requirement for businesses to hire extra workers to cope with the forced isolation of employees.
“Over the last six months (September 2022 – February 2023), total unemployment and under-employment has averaged 2.84 million (19.2% of the workforce), a far higher figure than the six months before that of March – August 2022: 2.49 million (17.1% of the workforce).
“The latest Roy Morgan employment estimates show that although the economy is creating many new jobs, the large increase in the workforce due to factors such as increased immigration, and the relaxation of domestic COVID-19 restrictions, means there has been a clear increase in both unemployment and under-employment since late last year.
“As we head further into 2023 these issues are set to become more prominent as we deal with high inflation and rising interest rates that will raise costs for businesses and consumers alike.”
Roy Morgan Unemployed and ‘Under-employed’* Estimates
| Unemployed or
‘Under-employed’* |
Unemployed | Unemployed looking for | ‘Under-employed’* | |||||
| Full-time | Part-time | |||||||
| 2022 | ‘000 | % | ‘000 | % | ‘000 | ‘000 | ‘000 | % |
| Jan-Mar 2022 | 2,380 | 16.4 | 1,187 | 8.2 | 438 | 749 | 1,193 | 8.2 |
| Apr-Jun 2022 | 2,467 | 17.0 | 1,235 | 8.5 | 482 | 753 | 1,232 | 8.5 |
| Jul-Sep 2022 | 2,657 | 17.9 | 1,270 | 8.6 | 540 | 730 | 1,387 | 9.3 |
| Oct-Dec 2022 | 2,792 | 19.4 | 1,361 | 9.2 | 542 | 819 | 1,431 | 9.6 |
| Months | ||||||||
| January 2022 | 2,427 | 16.6 | 1,201 | 8.2 | 464 | 737 | 1,226 | 8.4 |
| February 2022 | 2,357 | 16.3 | 1,227 | 8.5 | 463 | 764 | 1,130 | 7.8 |
| March 2022 | 2,356 | 16.2 | 1,133 | 7.8 | 387 | 746 | 1,223 | 8.4 |
| April 2022 | 2,641 | 18.1 | 1,411 | 9.7 | 559 | 852 | 1,230 | 8.4 |
| May 2022 | 2,408 | 16.7 | 1,169 | 8.1 | 477 | 692 | 1,239 | 8.6 |
| June 2022 | 2,351 | 16.3 | 1,125 | 7.8 | 409 | 716 | 1,226 | 8.5 |
| July 2022 | 2,516 | 17.1 | 1,246 | 8.5 | 494 | 752 | 1,270 | 8.6 |
| August 2022 | 2,692 | 18.1 | 1,363 | 9.2 | 592 | 771 | 1,329 | 8.9 |
| September 2022 | 2,764 | 18.6 | 1,202 | 8.1 | 535 | 667 | 1,562 | 10.5 |
| October 2022 | 2,916 | 19.7 | 1,362 | 9.2 | 525 | 837 | 1,554 | 10.5 |
| November 2022 | 2,715 | 18.2 | 1,338 | 9.0 | 506 | 832 | 1,377 | 9.2 |
| December 2022 | 2,745 | 18.4 | 1,384 | 9.3 | 595 | 789 | 1,361 | 9.1 |
| January 2023 | 3,033 | 20.2 | 1,607 | 10.7 | 644 | 963 | 1,426 | 9.5 |
| February 2023 | 2,888 | 19.2 | 1,521 | 10.1 | 602 | 919 | 1,367 | 9.1 |
*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 886,410 Australians aged 14 and over between January 2007 and February 2023 and includes 3,977 telephone and online interviews in February 2023. *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.
For further information:
| Contact | Office | Mobile |
| Gary Morgan: | +61 3 9224 5213 | +61 411 129 094 |
| Michele Levine: | +61 3 9224 5215 | +61 411 129 093 |
Roy Morgan Research cf. ABS Unemployment Estimates
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source October 2006 – February 2023. 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 – February 2023. 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 – February 2023. Average monthly interviews 4,000.
Note: Roy Morgan unemployment estimates are actual data while the ABS estimates are seasonally adjusted.
ROY MORGAN MEASURES REAL UNEMPLOYMENT IN AUSTRALIA
NOT THE ‘PERCEPTION’ OF UNEMPLOYMENT – JUNE 8, 2012
The Roy Morgan Unemployment estimate is obtained by surveying an Australia-wide cross section of people aged 14+. A person is classified as unemployed if they are looking for work, no matter when. The results are not seasonally adjusted and provide an accurate measure of monthly unemployment estimates in Australia.
Households selected for the ABS Survey are interviewed each month for eight months, with one-eighth of the sample being replaced each month. The first interview is conducted face-to-face. Subsequent interviews are then conducted by telephone.
The ABS classifies a person as unemployed if, when surveyed, they have been actively looking for work in the four weeks up to the end of the reference week and if they were available for work in the reference week.
The ABS classifies a person as employed if, when surveyed, a person worked for one hour or more during the reference week for pay, profit, commission or payment in kind, or even if a person worked for one hour or more without pay in a family business or on a farm.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics Unemployment estimates are also seasonally adjusted.
For these reasons the Australian Bureau of Statistics Unemployment estimates are different from the Roy Morgan Unemployment estimate. Gary Morgan's concerns regarding the ABS Unemployment estimate is clearly outlined in a 2012 letter to the Australian Financial Review, which was not published.
Margin of Error
The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. Margin of error gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.
| Sample Size | Percentage Estimate |
| 40% – 60% | 25% or 75% | 10% or 90% | 5% or 95% | |
| 1,000 | ±3.0 | ±2.7 | ±1.9 | ±1.3 |
| 5,000 | ±1.4 | ±1.2 | ±0.8 | ±0.6 |
| 7,500 | ±1.1 | ±1.0 | ±0.7 | ±0.5 |
| 10,000 | ±1.0 | ±0.9 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 |
| 20,000 | ±0.7 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 |
| 50,000 | ±0.4 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 | ±0.2 |
