I believe the figure is only 1 hour but it doesn't even have to be "paid work".

Helping the old lady next door weed her garden can be determined to be "work" and is therefore not counted.

The real problem is under-employment and that's due to the deliberate casualisation of the work force that started in earnest with Reith's initial relaxation of Industrial Relations legislation.

Decreasing the minimum working hours per shift means more jobs could be "created" but also results in more "working poor" as more people share the same jobs.

bonmot, many thanks for your link. Unfortunately, as is often the case, your link talks about how unemployment “should” be measured, rather than how it “is” measured.

My question was not about “how we measure” unemployment, or even who measures unemployment? It was all about why we have a difference between government figures, ABS and some polling figures?

Howard, shmHoward is not material. What is the real unemployment figure? Is it Roy Morgan’s 8.5% or is it the governments 4.9%?

The public is not really interested in your spin, just an explanation of the difference? I don’t have an answer, that’s why I was asking the question.

If you have the answer, please share it, if not, rack off.

spindoc,

"...if not, rack off."

Who empowered you as arbiter of what is or isn't of value in this discussion? .

Rache, I have been an employer sine 1988 and I can assure you, being self employed has lost it's appeal.

However, as for the casualization of the work force, it was forced upon us by the introduction of unfair dismissal laws, introduced by labor in the early 90,s.

Also, if you employ permernant staff, often, you can't afford the payout when they leave, or, if you make them redundant.

I have a mate with a butcher shop and his staff have been with him for years. He wishes they had been casual, as he is up for more than 50 grand, in staff entitlements, (not holiday pay) if he sells his shop.

Another reason for under employment, is due to the fact that employers have been sued for having workers on casual rates, but working regular 38 hour weeks.

This is despite having paid all the loadings.

Unfortunately, you have to get used to it, as casual, or contract work is here to stay

Spindoc either works for the ABS ie Aust Bureau of Spintistics or the ALP.

They have to start releasing figures of under employment.The whole system is corrupt and dysfunctional.We need a revolution.

http://www.secretofoz.com/ The Secret Of Oz is the story behind the Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum.L Frank Baum knew in the 1890's the reasons behind our oppression and the solutions.They were secretly embedded in his fairytale.Have you discovered what they are?

I really can't see any reason you would want the Aus Bureau of Statistics involved at all. Doing a 1200 people survey is a pretty poor idea, when centrelink have the accurate figures of who they are paying unemployment benefits, & other benefits, such as invalid/disabled etc. I suppose it keeps some useless bureaucrats off the dole que

I have always reckoned none of our governments were ever game to open the can of worms, & admit just how many were either genuinely out of work, or bludging on the rest. I'm sure they fear the explosion that would come from taxpayers if we had the true figures.