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US vs. Australia: Labor Participation Rate

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  • US vs. Australia: Labor Participation Rate

    One interesting item I see in the newspapers in Australia is the talk about labor participation rates: this is a focus of at least one of the political parties here (an election is going on as I write).

    Australia's employment data:

    http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6202.0


    JULY KEY FIGURES
    Jun 2010
    Jul 2010
    Jun 10 to
    Jul 10
    Jul 09
    to Jul 10

    Trend
    Employed persons ('000)
    11 203.9
    11 220.6
    16.7
    2.7
    %
    Unemployed persons ('000)
    618.6
    619.1
    0.5
    -7.9
    %
    Unemployment rate (%)
    5.2
    5.2
    0.0
    pts
    -0.6
    pts
    Participation rate (%)
    65.3
    65.3
    0.0
    pts
    -0.1
    pts
    Seasonally Adjusted
    Employed persons ('000)
    11 212.3
    11 235.7
    23.5
    2.7
    %
    Unemployed persons ('000)
    607.2
    631.8
    24.6
    -5.0
    %
    Unemployment rate (%)
    5.1
    5.3
    0.2
    pts
    -0.4
    pts
    Participation rate (%)
    65.3
    65.5
    0.2
    pts
    0.0
    pts
    Compare with what you see in the US:

    http://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm

    Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in July. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia recorded unemployment rate decreases, 14 states registered rate increases, and 18 states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia reported unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, 20 states posted increases, and 3 states had no change. The national jobless rate was unchanged in July at 9.5 percent and little different from a year earlier (9.4 percent).
    Only if you dig deep can you see the equivalent US work force participation rate:

    ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/suppl/empsit.cpseea13.txt

    Age, sex, and race Civilian Employed Unemployed Not
    noninsti- in
    tutional Percent labor
    population Total of Percent Percent force
    population Total of Number of
    population labor
    force

    TOTAL

    16 years and over................... 237,890 155,270 65.3 140,134 58.9 15,137 9.7 82,620
    Of course this itself doesn't mean anything, but a look at some historical numbers give this perspective:

    ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/suppl/empsit.cpseea1.txt

    Year Civilian Employed Unemployed Not in
    and noninsti- labor
    month tutional Percent force
    population Number of Percent Percent
    population Number of Number of
    population labor
    force

    1970........................ 137,085 82,771 60.4 78,678 57.4 4,093 4.9 54,315
    1971........................ 140,216 84,382 60.2 79,367 56.6 5,016 5.9 55,834
    1972 (1).................... 144,126 87,034 60.4 82,153 57.0 4,882 5.6 57,091
    1973 (1).................... 147,096 89,429 60.8 85,064 57.8 4,365 4.9 57,667
    1974........................ 150,120 91,949 61.3 86,794 57.8 5,156 5.6 58,171
    1975........................ 153,153 93,774 61.2 85,846 56.1 7,929 8.5 59,377
    1976........................ 156,150 96,158 61.6 88,752 56.8 7,406 7.7 59,991
    1977........................ 159,033 99,008 62.3 92,017 57.9 6,991 7.1 60,025
    1978 (1).................... 161,910 102,250 63.2 96,048 59.3 6,202 6.1 59,659
    1979........................ 164,863 104,962 63.7 98,824 59.9 6,137 5.8 59,900

    1980........................ 167,745 106,940 63.8 99,302 59.2 7,637 7.1 60,806
    1981........................ 170,130 108,670 63.9 100,397 59.0 8,273 7.6 61,460
    1982........................ 172,271 110,204 64.0 99,526 57.8 10,678 9.7 62,067
    1983........................ 174,215 111,550 64.0 100,834 57.9 10,717 9.6 62,665
    1984........................ 176,383 113,544 64.4 105,005 59.5 8,539 7.5 62,839
    1985........................ 178,206 115,461 64.8 107,150 60.1 8,312 7.2 62,744
    1986 (1).................... 180,587 117,834 65.3 109,597 60.7 8,237 7.0 62,752
    1987........................ 182,753 119,865 65.6 112,440 61.5 7,425 6.2 62,888
    1988........................ 184,613 121,669 65.9 114,968 62.3 6,701 5.5 62,944
    1989........................ 186,393 123,869 66.5 117,342 63.0 6,528 5.3 62,523

    1990 (1).................... 189,164 125,840 66.5 118,793 62.8 7,047 5.6 63,324
    1991........................ 190,925 126,346 66.2 117,718 61.7 8,628 6.8 64,578
    1992........................ 192,805 128,105 66.4 118,492 61.5 9,613 7.5 64,700
    1993........................ 194,838 129,200 66.3 120,259 61.7 8,940 6.9 65,638
    1994 (1).................... 196,814 131,056 66.6 123,060 62.5 7,996 6.1 65,758
    1995........................ 198,584 132,304 66.6 124,900 62.9 7,404 5.6 66,280
    1996........................ 200,591 133,943 66.8 126,708 63.2 7,236 5.4 66,647
    1997 (1).................... 203,133 136,297 67.1 129,558 63.8 6,739 4.9 66,836
    1998 (1).................... 205,220 137,673 67.1 131,463 64.1 6,210 4.5 67,547
    1999 (1).................... 207,753 139,368 67.1 133,488 64.3 5,880 4.2 68,385

    2000 (1).................... 212,577 142,583 67.1 136,891 64.4 5,692 4.0 69,994
    2001........................ 215,092 143,734 66.8 136,933 63.7 6,801 4.7 71,359
    2002........................ 217,570 144,863 66.6 136,485 62.7 8,378 5.8 72,707
    2003 (1).................... 221,168 146,510 66.2 137,736 62.3 8,774 6.0 74,658
    2004 (1).................... 223,357 147,401 66.0 139,252 62.3 8,149 5.5 75,956
    2005 (1).................... 226,082 149,320 66.0 141,730 62.7 7,591 5.1 76,762
    2006 (1).................... 228,815 151,428 66.2 144,427 63.1 7,001 4.6 77,387
    2007 (1).................... 231,867 153,124 66.0 146,047 63.0 7,078 4.6 78,743
    2008 (1).................... 233,788 154,287 66.0 145,362 62.2 8,924 5.8 79,501
    2009 (1).................... 235,801 154,142 65.4 139,877 59.3 14,265 9.3 81,659

    Monthly data, seasonally adjusted (2)

    2009:
    July....................... 235,870 154,351 65.4 139,817 59.3 14,534 9.4 81,519
    August..................... 236,087 154,426 65.4 139,433 59.1 14,993 9.7 81,661
    September.................. 236,322 153,927 65.1 138,768 58.7 15,159 9.8 82,396
    October.................... 236,550 153,854 65.0 138,242 58.4 15,612 10.1 82,696
    November................... 236,743 153,720 64.9 138,381 58.5 15,340 10.0 83,022
    December................... 236,924 153,059 64.6 137,792 58.2 15,267 10.0 83,865

    2010:
    January (3)................ 236,832 153,170 64.7 138,333 58.4 14,837 9.7 83,663
    February................... 236,998 153,512 64.8 138,641 58.5 14,871 9.7 83,487
    March...................... 237,159 153,910 64.9 138,905 58.6 15,005 9.7 83,249
    April...................... 237,329 154,715 65.2 139,455 58.8 15,260 9.9 82,614
    May........................ 237,499 154,393 65.0 139,420 58.7 14,973 9.7 83,107
    June....................... 237,690 153,741 64.7 139,119 58.5 14,623 9.5 83,949
    July....................... 237,890 153,560 64.6 138,960 58.4 14,599 9.5 84,330
    Labor Participation Rate in the US in 1970: 56.6%
    Lowest point since 1970: 56.1% (1975)
    Highest point since 1970: 64.4% (2000)

    Even excluding the massive imprisoned population, the switch from single income to double income families, etc - puts the present labor participation of 58.9% in perspective no?

    (note: 58.9% is not seasonally adjusted while 59.3% number is)
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