The Australian workforce has reached a milestone as female participation in the labour market hit a record 63.1 per cent in October, driving the national participation rate to an all-time high of 67.2 per cent. With an increase nearly double that of male participation since pre-pandemic times, this surge underscores an evolving trend, pointing to a broader shift in workforce dynamics.
Bjorn Jarvis, head of labour statistics at the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), highlighted the unprecedented rise: “While the participation rate has increased for both men and women in Australia, the increase in female participation from its pre-pandemic level has been particularly noteworthy.” This shift reflects a growing presence of women in the labour market, likely influenced by a range of factors, from flexible work options becoming more widespread to changing societal norms around career and family.
Alongside these record participation rates, the broader employment landscape remained stable, with the unemployment rate steady at 4.1 per cent for the third consecutive month. Employment grew modestly by about 16,000 jobs in October, though this was tempered by a rise in the number of people seeking work. However, overall job growth was slower than in recent months, with October seeing the smallest rise in employment since April.
While the underemployment rate edged down to 6.2 per cent, it’s the participation and employment-to-population ratios that are capturing attention. The employment-to-population ratio, which remained at a historic high of 64.4 per cent, points to continued high levels of workforce engagement across the population, a factor critical in stabilising the labour market.
Monthly hours worked have also kept pace with employment growth, showing a steady 0.1 per cent increase. This stability reflects a recent pattern where hours worked closely track job growth, marking a shift from the more erratic trends seen during the early days of the pandemic. Jarvis noted that this consistency between hours worked and employment rates is another indicator of a relatively balanced labour market. These trends suggest Australia’s labour market is holding steady, with rising female participation contributing significantly to these new highs.
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