Two Decades of Change: The Australian Labour Market, 1993-2013

Abstract

This article provides a statistical review of the Australian labour market over the two decades to 2013. It examines changes in: the nature of labour supply and participation; labour utilisation; patterns of employment growth across states; the characteristics of jobs; and earnings. The period can reasonably be characterised as one of strong labour market performance: participation, employment and earnings all increased over most of the period, while measures of job insecurity and work intensity moderated and in some cases reversed. However, earnings inequality increased substantially, at least in part reflecting changes in labour demand favouring the most skilled and educated.