What it measures
Employment Change is the difference between the number of employed people this month and last month. It counts people, including part-time workers, from a survey of households.
Who publishes it and when
The ABS publishes the Labour Force release at 11:30 Sydney time, usually around the middle of the month after the one it covers. The unemployment rate comes out at the same moment.
How it is put together
The survey interviews households across Australia each month, and part of the sample is replaced each month. Because it is a sample, monthly changes can be noisy, and the ABS also publishes a smoother trend series.
What traders watch
Traders watch the split between full-time and part-time jobs, hours worked, the participation rate and the unemployment rate, more than the headline alone.
How markets have usually reacted
A strong figure has often lifted the Australian dollar and Australian yields; a weak one has often weighed on them, especially when the RBA is close to a decision.
Common mistakes
- Treating one month's swing as a trend.
- Ignoring the full-time versus part-time split.
How a higher or lower figure is usually read
More jobs than last month is usually read as supportive for the Australian dollar; fewer jobs as negative. Not a signal.
Release history
No past releases recorded yet.
Related news
- Australia Unemployment Rate
- Reserve Bank of Australia Rate Decision (cash rate)
- Australia Monthly CPI
- Economic calendar: every release this week in your time zone
- Lot size calculator: keep your risk the same around news
- How to use an economic calendar: what happens around a release, and how to plan for it
Trading involves a high risk of loss. This page is information and education, not advice or a signal to trade. See the Risk Disclaimer.
Official source
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Published by Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Labour Force survey: www.abs.gov.au