<p>Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.</p>

<p>Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.</p>

<p>Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.</p>

<p>Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.</p>

<p>Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.</p>

<p>For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.</p>

<p>Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.</p>

<p>Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.</p>

<p>The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.</p>

<p>That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.</p>

<p>Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.</p>

<p>It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.</p>

<p>For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.</p>

<p>Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.</p>


Joel Robinson

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

<p data-end="471" data-start="164">Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.</p>

<p data-end="777" data-start="473">The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.</p>

<p data-end="976" data-start="779">Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.</p>

<p data-end="1119" data-start="978"><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.</p>

<p data-end="1399" data-start="1121">"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.</p>

<p data-end="1399" data-start="1121">"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."</p>

<p data-end="1605" data-start="1401">The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.</p>

<p data-end="1852" data-start="1607">The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.</p>

<p data-end="1852" data-start="1607"><img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" /></p>

<p data-end="2031" data-start="1854">Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.</p>

<p data-end="2299" data-start="2033">"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.</p>

<p data-end="2588" data-start="2301">Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.</p>

<p data-end="4143" data-start="3991">Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.</p>

<p data-end="593" data-start="417">Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.</p>

<p data-end="789" data-start="598">New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.</p>

<p data-end="1053" data-start="794">IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.</p>

<p data-end="4143" data-start="3991"><em>Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a></em></p>

<p data-end="4143" data-start="3991"><em>Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a></em></p>


First look: Inca eyes Mona Vale with State Significant DA for Dawn apartments

<p>Seasoned Victorian apartment developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/central-equity">Central Equity</a> has logged more than $400 million in sales in its luxury apartment project Palmera Residences at Northcliffe on the Gold Coast.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Central Equity Director Karl Kutner said the sales result reflected a combination of location, product quality and delivery certainty with the project already under construction by building powerhouse Multiplex.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Surpassing $400 million in sales since launch is a significant milestone and an outstanding endorsement of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/palmera-residences-gold-coast-18-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Palmera Residences</a>,” he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We believe one of the key reasons for this strong result is the confidence purchasers have in knowing the project is under construction with Multiplex. Buyers are increasingly looking for certainty. They want to know that the project they commit to today will be delivered by an experienced team with a proven track record."&nbsp;</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365782]</p>

<p>Kutner said it was clear there was still high demand for luxury projects that offered certainty of delivery.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“We are in a market where many residential developments have faced delays due to rising construction costs, labour shortages and financing challenges,” said Kutner.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"But having construction underway has provided our buyers with resounding confidence backed by more than 40 years of development delivery by Central Equity combined with construction by one of Australia's most respected construction companies."&nbsp;</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365785]</p>

<p>Central Equity is one of Australia's most experienced privately-owned property developers. Over more than four decades, the company has delivered in excess of 85 residential developments including 10,000 apartments and many thousands of stand alone homes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Located on Garfield Terrace at Northcliffe, between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, Palmera Residences occupies one of the Gold Coast's most sought after beachside locations. The development has been designed to appeal to owner occupiers seeking premium residences that combine generous living spaces and resort style amenities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Palmera Residences will feature an exceptional collection of resort style amenities, including two swimming pools: a generously sized family pool with safe shallow zones for relaxed recreation, and a 20 metre lap pool positioned to maximise all day sunlight.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Residents will also enjoy exclusive access to wellness and recreational facilities including a magnesium pool, sauna, yoga studio, expansive fitted gymnasium, resident lounge, outdoor BBQ’s&nbsp;and indoor and outdoor dining areas, together with a dedicated concierge and luxurious hotel inspired entrance foyer.&nbsp;</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365767]</p>

<p>A unique feature at Palmera Residences has been designed to enhance the Gold Coast lifestyle which includes both indoor and outdoor gymnasium facilities, together with thoughtfully designed indoor and outdoor dining and entertaining areas. A corner café has also been incorporated to provide residents with a destination for their everyday needs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kutner said buyer demand had been broad based with purchasers attracted from interstate as well as throughout South East Queensland.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We're seeing strong interest from owner occupiers, lifestyle buyers and people relocating to the Gold Coast. Many purchasers have been searching for a premium beachside residence where quality, design and delivery are equally important."&nbsp;</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=108274 project_image_fid=365771]</p>

<p>Kutner said the sales milestone was an important achievement, but the focus remained firmly on delivering an exceptional development.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"While reaching $400 million in sales is an important milestone, our priority remains delivering a project that exceeds purchaser expectations,” he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Palmera Residences has been designed to become one of the Gold Coast's landmark residential addresses, and we look forward to welcoming our purchasers to their new homes."&nbsp;</p>

<p>There are a limited number of residences remaining in selected configurations with pricing from $2,950,000 to $8,950,000. Palmera Residences is also crowned by expansive penthouses with wrap around views.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108274]</p>


Construction certainty and strong buyer demand drive major sales result for luxury Gold Coast development

Palmera Residences fly out the door as sales pass $400 million

<p>National property developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/goldfields-group">Goldfields</a> has appointed BINAH as its construction partner for Quartet, its new Brisbane apartment development in the undersupplied suburb of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/milton-qld-4064">Milton</a>.</p>

<p>Located just two kilometres from the Brisbane CBD and moments from key 2032 Olympic precincts, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/quartet-milton-33-manning-street-milton-qld-4064">Quartet</a> will deliver 131 one, two, three, and four-bedroom apartments priced from $1 million to $4.2 million, combining elevated design with a wellness-focused lifestyle offering.&nbsp;</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=108736 project_image_fid=368000]</p>

<p>Goldfields’ Chief Executive Officer, Lachlan Thompson, said the appointment of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/binah-constructions">BINAH</a> marked an important milestone for the project.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Bringing BINAH on board as our construction partner will allow us to bring our vision for Quartet forward with a team that has a proven track record of delivering high-quality residential projects,” Thompson said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“We’ve taken a considered approach to progressing the site because we wanted to deliver the whole package. Buyers ultimately back great developers, great projects and great builders, and with Quartet, we’ve made sure all three line up.</p>

<p>“People want certainty, they want to know the project will be built, that the homes will be delivered as promised, and that the developer stands behind the quality of what they create. That’s something Goldfields has built its reputation on over many years.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=108736 project_image_fid=367993]</p>

<p>BINAH’s Managing Director, Khalil Hafza, said the company was proud to be partnering with Goldfields to deliver Quartet.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Quartet is an exciting project to bring to life, particularly given the level of detail in the residences and the extensive rooftop amenity planned for the building,” Mr Hafza said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Our focus is on delivering a high-quality build that brings that design vision to life and creates homes residents will enjoy for many years.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=108736 project_image_fid=367999]</p>

<p>The facilities at Quartet have been feared towards the roof, with a&nbsp;25 metre lap pool, spa, sauna and cold plunge, and a communal barbecue area and alfresco.</p>

<p>Town planning was designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> and brought to life by Melbourne-based architecture firm Cera Stribley.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/cera-stribley">Cera Stribley</a> Co-Founder and Managing Principal, Dom Cerantonio, said the project responds to both its riverside setting and Brisbane’s evolving urban character.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Quartet has been designed to sit comfortably within its riverside context, offering a refined take on urban living through well-planned, generously proportioned residences that will stand the test of time,” Mr Cerantonio said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“An emphasis on natural light, natural textures and carefully selected finishes from timber and marble to premium appliances, creates calm, considered interiors designed for comfort and long-term liveability.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>Construction of Quartet will commence in July 2026, with completion anticipated in Q4 2028.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=108736]</p>


Construction to commence on 131-residence tower designed around wellness-focused living

Goldfields appoints BINAH for Quartet apartments in Milton

<p>The first partnership between national developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/fortis">Fortis</a> and Adelaide-based developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> has made a strong start, with the pair securing $21 million in unconditional sales at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/one-four-four-hutt-adelaide-144-hutt-street-adelaide-sa-5000">One Four Four Hutt</a>&nbsp;on the edge of the Adelaide CBD.</p>

<p>Over a third of apartments have been snapped up in the boutique 44-apartment project on the corner of Hutt Stret and Wakefield Road. Local downsizers and owner-occupiers wanting to remain in Adelaide's tightly-held southeast quarter have been the most prominent purchasers.</p>

<p>The DKO-designed, mixed-use development is one of the few new apartment projects in the precinct, an area where new housing supply has remained limited despite continued demand from buyers wanting to stay close to the CBD, Victoria Park and Adelaide's established east-end amenities.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=151233 project_image_fid=375378]</p>

<p>Fortis Head of Development SA Arthur Dendrinos said the early sales reflected both the strength of the local owner-occupier market and confidence in the Hutt Street location.</p>

<p>"The level of early commitment reflects the confidence local buyers have in the Hutt Street precinct," Dendrinos said.</p>

<p>"Many purchasers are long-term east-end residents who love the area and want to stay connected to the neighbourhood. They recognise the value of a well-designed, well-located development.</p>

<p>"Our partnership with Otello has been central to this success, and the number of unconditional sales at this stage only strengthens our confidence in the South Australian market."</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=151233 project_image_fid=375379]</p>

<p>Otello Director Daniel Harris said the sales result also highlighted the lack of new apartment opportunities within the Hutt Street precinct.</p>

<p>"One Four Four Hutt has clearly resonated with buyers, with strong early sales reflecting both the appeal of the Hutt Street corridor and the lifestyle on offer," Harris said.</p>

<p>"The activated ground-floor retail has also been a key drawcard, with purchasers responding to the vision of a more vibrant and connected streetscape, not just the residences themselves."</p>

<p>One Four Four Hutt will deliver 44 one, two and three-bedroom apartments, alongside a collection of penthouses, above a ground-floor retail offering designed to further activate the Hutt Street precinct.</p>

<p>Construction is scheduled to commence in the third quarter of this year, with completion anticipated in 2028.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=151233]</p>


Fortis Head of Development SA Arthur Dendrinos said the early sales reflected both the strength of the local owner-occupier market and confidence in the Hutt Street location.

Fortis makes Adelaide debut with Otello as One Four Four Hutt records strong early sales

Job Market

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<p><strong>EXPERT OBSERVATION</strong></p>
<p><strong>Labour force</strong></p>
<p>Employment rose for the 33rd time in 34 months, up by 41,100 jobs in July after a revised 2,400 fall in jobs in June (previously reported as an increase of 500 jobs).</p>
<p>Full-time jobs rose by 34,500 with part-time jobs up by 6,700. Economists had tipped an increase in total jobs of around 14,000.</p>
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<div class="column">Hours worked rose 0.5 per cent in July to be up 2.0 per cent over the year. In trend terms, hours worked were up 1.8 per cent on the year.</div>
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<div class="column">The unemployment rate was steady at 5.2 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms. In trend terms the jobless rate rose by less than 0.1 percent to 5.3 per cent.</div>
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<div class="column">The participation rate rose to a record-high 66.1 per cent in July. In trend terms, the participation rate rose from 66.0 per cent in June to a record high of 66.1 per cent in July.</div>
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<div class="column">Unemployment across states in July: NSW 4.4 per cent (June 4.6 per cent); Victoria 4.8 per cent (4.8 per cent); Queensland 6.4 per cent (6.5 per cent); South Australia 6.9 per cent (6.0 per cent); Western Australia 5.9 per cent (5.7 per cent); Tasmania 6.0 per cent (6.8 per cent). In trend terms, Northern Territory 4.9 per cent (4.8 per cent); ACT 3.5 per cent (3.5 per cent).</div>
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<div class="column">Average weekly earnings: Average weekly earnings rose by 3.1 per cent in the year to May 2019 – the fastest rate in six years. The average annual wage stands at $85,009.60.</div>
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<div class="column">Overseas arrivals: Tourist arrivals fell by 3.0 per cent in June while departures fell by 2.3 per cent.</div>
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<div class="column">A raft of companies is affected by the employment data but especially those dependent on consumer spending. Amongst stocks affected are Nine Entertainment, West Australian Newspapers, Seek Limited and McMillan Shakespeare.</div>
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<div class="column"><strong>What does it all mean?</strong></div>
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<p>What is the definition of a strong job market? We would contend that it is one where employment is rising, more people are participating in the job market and where the jobless rate remains historically low. Australia has a strong job market.</p>
<p>While the jobless rate in Australia is higher than the US, UK and New Zealand, in Australia job growth remains strong and more people are drawing down a wage.</p>
<p>Retailers want to see more people with jobs because that converts to more opportunities to sell their goods and services. </p>
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<p>It is always important to remember that indicators like employment and the unemployment rate reflect decisions made by businesses as much as six months ago.</p>
<p>Simply, the hiring process takes time – from the decision to hire, the advertising and interview process, and then the time it takes for the successful candidate to start work.</p>
<p>And the environment 5-6 months ago – before the Federal Election – was far different to today – a lot softer.</p>
<p>In the past two months, job ads have lifted, pointing to even stronger employment ahead.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/8/15/commsec%201.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge: </p>
<p><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/8/15/commsec%201.jpg" alt=""></p>
<p>The Reserve Bank doesn’t expect much improvement in the jobless rate over the remainder of 2019. So it will take falls in the jobless rate to prompt the RBA to back off rate cuts.</p>
<p>Reserve Bank forecasts assume a quarter per cent rate cut to be delivered late in 2019 and another cut of same size earlier in 2020.  </p>
<p>Unfortunately for the Reserve Bank, the jobs data is a ‘lagging indicator’. So it will need to be confident that more timely data, like the monthly business survey, is pointing to firmer employment ahead.</p>
<p>Another key question is how far away is the peak in the workforce participation rate.</p>
<p>If solid employment continues and the participation rate doesn’t rise in turn, the jobless rate has a chance of falling, meaning that spare capacity in the economy is being reduced. </p>
<p>The ‘problem’ – if we can call it that – is that more people are getting jobs and more people are coming into the workforce to take up the new positions.</p>
<p>So spare capacity remains. But the employment pie continues to get bigger, and that is important for retailers and government tax coffers.</p>
<p>In NSW, Victoria, Northern Territory and the ACT, jobless rates are below 5 per cent. In other states, jobless rates are around 6.0-7.0 per cent.</p>
<p>In-roads need to occur outside the main states if the Reserve Bank is to achieve the goal of a jobless rate near 4.5 per cent. And arguably this means greater use of fiscal policy, not monetary policy.</p>
<p><strong>What do the figures show? </strong></p>
<p>Employment rose for the 33<sup>rd</sup> time in 34 months, up by 41,100 jobs in July after a revised 2,400 fall in jobs in June (previously reported as an increase of 500 jobs). Full-time jobs rose by 34,500 with part-time jobs up by 6,700. Economists had tipped an increase in total jobs of around 14,000. </p>
<p>Annual job growth rose from 2.4 per cent to 2.6 per cent in July (decade average 1.7 per cent).</p>
<p>Hours worked rose 0.5 per cent in July to be up 2.0 per cent over the year. In trend terms, hours worked were up 1.8 per cent on the year.</p>
<p>The unemployment rate was steady at 5.2 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms. In trend terms the jobless rate rose by less than 0.1 percent to 5.3 per cent. </p>
<p>The participation rate rose to a record-high 66.1 per cent in July. In trend terms, the participation rate rose from 66.0 per cent in June to a record high of 66.1 per cent in July. </p>
<p>Unemployment across states in July: NSW 4.4 per cent (June 4.6 per cent); Victoria 4.8 per cent (4.8 per cent); Queensland 6.4 per cent (6.5 per cent); South Australia 6.9 per cent (6.0 per cent); Western Australia 5.9 per cent (5.7 per cent); Tasmania 6.0 per cent (6.8 per cent). In trend terms, Northern Territory 4.9 per cent (4.8 per cent); ACT 3.5 per cent (3.5 per cent).</p>
<p>In seasonally adjusted terms, the largest increases in employment were in Queensland (up 19,900 persons), New South Wales (up 13,000 persons), and Victoria (up 3,600 persons). The largest decrease was in Western Australia (down 4,200 persons).</p>
<p>The working age population rose by 34,400 in July to 20.62 million. Over the year, the working age population rose by 360,900 – a near decade high – or 1.78 per cent. But this is still down from the record 2.36 per cent annual growth in December 2008.</p>
<p>The monthly trend underemployment rate remained steady at 8.4 per cent. The monthly underutilisation rate remained steady at 13.6 per cent.</p>
<p>The monthly seasonally adjusted underemployment rate increased 0.2 pts to 8.4 per cent. The monthly underutilisation rate increased 0.2 pts to 13.6 per cent.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/8/15/commsec%202.jpg" target="_blank">Click here </a>to enlarge: </p>
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<p><strong><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/8/15/commsec%203.jpg" alt=""></strong></p>
<p><strong>Why is the data important?</strong></p>
<p><span>The Labour Force estimates are derived from a monthly survey conducted by the Bureau of Statistics. </span></p>
<p><span>The population survey is based on a multi-stage area sample of private dwellings (currently about 22,800 houses, flats, etc.) and a sample of non-private dwellings (hotels, motels, etc.). </span></p>
<p><span>The survey covers about 0.24 per cent of the population of Australia and includes all people over 15 years of age, except defence personnel.</span></p>
<p><span>If more people are employed, then there is greater spending power in the economy. But at the same time companies may adjust the work hours of employees.</span></p>
<p><span> If employees work less hours, and therefore get paid less, then spending power in the economy is reduced.</span></p>
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<p><span><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/8/15/commsec%205.jpg" alt=""></span></p>
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<p><strong>What are the implications?</strong></p>
<p>Employment growth again exceeded implications in July. ‘Normal’ annual job growth is around 1.7 per cent. In July, job growth was 2.6 per cent. That means more people with money to spend. And that benefits a raft of businesses. </p>
<p>In the past decade, 4.9 per cent was the lowest jobless rate recorded. So a jobless rate of 5.2 per cent is clearly a “good” outcome.</p>
<p>The Reserve Bank believes that we can do even better. So rates can fall again to speed the economy up and create more jobs.</p>
<p>Commonwealth Bank Group economists tip a quarter of a per cent rate cut in both November and February 2020.</p>
<p>The lift in job creation is important for business sales and profitability. So the latest outcome is positive for the sharemarket.</p>
<p>Not only are jobs being created, wages continue to outpace inflation. Average weekly earnings grew by 3.1 per cent over the past year – the fastest rate in six years.</p>
<p>Female wages are up 3.6 per cent over the year with male wages up 3.0 per cent. Female wages have exceeded male wages over the past five years.</p>
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Australia's strong jobless rate is a good outcome: Craig James 

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<p>The COAG meeting of state and territory leaders with the Prime Minister presents a golden opportunity to bring the VET sector back into the frame of Australia’s education system.</p>
<p>Vocational education and trade training must receive the same recognition as other education pathways.</p>
<p>The VET sector has always underpinned the delivery of a skilled trade workforce in Australia.</p>
<p>It is vital for Australia’s residential building industry that governments come together and heed the warnings of industry and business regarding the challenges facing the VET sector, to reach a cooperative agreement on reforming and improving the VET sector.</p>
<p>For too long our VET sector has been regarded by both governments and communities as being inferior to the university sector. Nothing could be further from the truth.</p>
<p>Australia needs both sectors to be strong and efficient. Building a career in a skilled trade is just as important an opportunity as building a career as a doctor or a lawyer.</p>
<p>The building industry offers a range of jobs, onsite and offsite, which rely on training being available through both VET and university education.</p>
<p>As pointed out today by NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, there needs to be a holistic approach to tertiary education. Committing to a policy framework where the VET sector is afforded rightful equal status with the university sector is a crucial early step to achieving success.</p>
<p>Vocational Education and Training is on the COAG agenda tomorrow. The Federal Government brings to the table a starting commitment in the form of its $525bn Skills Package announced in the April budget, while the Joyce Review into the VET sector provides a comprehensive foundation for discussion.</p>
<p>In discussing the challenges facing the VET sector a cooperative strategy and way forward needs to emerge from the COAG meeting. From there government consultation with industry can create a platform for success in co-designing a refreshed VET sector that provides the residential building industry and the broader economy with the skilled workforce required to match the jobs that need to be filled.</p>
<p>KRISTIN BROOKFIELD is the HIA Chief Executive of Industry Policy</p>
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VET agreement essential to renew focus on trade training: HIA's Kristin Brookfield

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<p>EXPERT OBSERVER</p>
<p>Last month we said that there was seemingly something for everyone in the latest labour force data. And the same conclusion can be made again.</p>
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<p>There was good job growth in the month, albeit focused on part-time jobs.</p>
<p>The jobless rate didn’t budge. But the proportion of working age Aussies in the job market (participation rate) hit record highs.</p>
<p>Admittedly the data covered the election period and that may account for the skew to part-time workers.</p>
<p>Clearly there are temporary jobs created each three years for election-related roles.</p>
<p>A big question for the Reserve Bank is whether it believes that lower interest rates can truly drive the national jobless rate to 4.5 per cent or whether structural factors will impede progress.</p>
<p>NSW, Victoria, the ACT and the Northern Territory have jobless rates of 4.6 per cent or lower but next best is South Australia at 5.7 per cent.</p>
<p>So the ball is back in the Reserve Bank’s court. We know that interest rates are being driven by the job market.</p>
<p>So does the Reserve Bank follow the June rate cut with another move in July or does it wait a little longer – perhaps August after the late July inflation data?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/6/13/commsec%201%20.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge: </p>
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<div class="column">We continue to favour August for the next rate cut. There certainly is no rush.</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">The economy lost momentum late in 2018/early in 2009 due to the US-China trade stoush. Other countries have similarly experienced softer growth.</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">Australia has also experienced slower growth in 2019 as both businesses and consumers awaited the election result.</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">With a clear election result obtained, the economy should gain pace from here.</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">The Reserve Bank doesn’t seem to see any barriers to further rate stimulus.</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">‘Full employment’ is now defined as a jobless rate near 4.5 per cent. And inflation is set to stay at lower levels for longer.</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">That assumption was backed by today’s data showing plunging airfares in June.<br><p>Certainly stimulus is coming from lower interest rates, the minimum wage decision, the upcoming tax cut and some loosening of home lending policy from the regulators.</p>
<p>A lower Aussie dollar is also supporting activity in the economy. Sydney home prices have lifted 0.3 per cent from recent lows with Melbourne prices up 0.2 per cent.</p>
<p><strong>What do the figures show?</strong></p>
Employment rose for the 12th straight month, up by 42,300 in May after a revised 43,100 increase in jobs in April (previously reported as a 28,400 increase in jobs).</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">Full-time jobs rose by 2,400, but part-time jobs rose by 39,800. Economists had tipped an increase in total jobs of around 15,000.</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">Annual job growth rose from 2.5 per cent to a 14-month high of 2.9 per cent (decade average 1.7 per cent).<br><p>Hours worked fell by 0.3 per cent in the month to be up 2.1 per cent over the year. In trend terms, hours worked rose 0.2 per cent to be up 2.5 per cent on the year.</p>
The unemployment rate was steady at 5.2 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms. In trend terms the jobless rate was steady at 5.1 per cent.</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">The participation rate rose from 65.9 per cent to a record high of 66.0 per cent. In trend terms the participation rate rose from 65.8 per cent to a record high of 65.9 per cent.</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">Unemployment across states in May: NSW 4.6 per cent (April 4.6 per cent); Victoria 4.6 per cent (4.8 per cent); Queensland 6.2 per cent (5.9 per cent); South Australia 5.7 per cent (6.1 per cent); Western Australia 6.3 per cent (6.1 per cent); Tasmania 6.4 per cent (6.8 per cent). In trend terms, Northern Territory 4.5 per cent (4.5 per cent); ACT 3.9 per cent (3.8 per cent).</div>
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<br>State/Territory jobs: In seasonlly adjusted terms, the largest increase in employment was in New South Wales (up 38,500 persons), followed by Victoria (up 28,600 persons) and Queensland (up 7,800 persons).</div>
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<div class="column">The only decrease were in Western Australia (down 4,000 persons) and Tasmania (down 400 persons)</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">The working age population rose by 26,000 in May to 20.56 million.</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">Over the year the working age population rose by 356,100 – a 91⁄2-year high – or 1.76 per cent, but this is still down from the record 2.36 per cent annual growth in December 2008.</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">The monthly trend underemployment rate increased 0.1pt to 8.5 per cent. The monthly trend underutilisation rate increased 0.1pt to 13.6 per cent.<br><p>The monthly seasonally adjusted underemployment rate increased 0.1pt to 8.6 per cent. The monthly underutilisation rate remained steady at 13.7 per cent.</p>
<p><strong>Domestic airfares</strong></p>
Business class airfares fell by 0.2 per cent in June after falling by 1 per cent in May. Business class airfares are down 9.6 per cent on a year ago – falling at the fastest annual rate in six years.</div>
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<div class="column">And the actual fares stand at the lowest level in four years. In smoothed terms, business class airfares fell by 1.3 per cent in June to be down 9.3 per cent on the year.</div>
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<div class="column">Discount airfares are volatile month-to-month. In June, fares rose by 15.2 per cent after falling by 25.9 per cent in May.</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">Discount airfares are down 5.9 per cent over the year to June. In smoothed terms, discount airfares fell by 1.9 per cent in June to be down 3.1 per cent on the year – the biggest fall in the annual growth rate in three years. Fares are the lowest in two years.</div>
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<div class="column">Restricted economy airfares rose by 0.7 per cent in June after falling by 0.5 per cent in May. In smoothed terms, restricted economy fares rose just 0.2 per cent in June to be up by 5.3 per cent on the year.</div>
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<div class="column"><strong>Why is the data important?</strong></div>
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<div class="column">The Labour Force estimates are derived from a monthly survey conducted by the Bureau of Statistics.</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">The population survey is based on a multi-stage area sample of private dwellings (currently about 22,800 houses, flats, etc.) and a sample of non-private dwellings (hotels, motels, etc.).</div>
<div class="column"> </div>
<div class="column">The survey covers about 0.24 per cent of the population of Australia and includes all people over 15 years of age, except defence personnel.</div>
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<div class="column">If more people are employed, then there is greater spending power in the economy. But at the same time companies may adjust the work hours of employees.</div>
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<div class="column">If employees work less hours, and therefore get paid less, then spending power in the economy is reduced.</div>
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<div class="column">The Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) releases data on domestic and international aviation each month.</div>
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<div class="column">The data is useful in tracking consumer spending and airline performance as well as broader economic activity.</div>
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<div class="column"><strong>What are the implications?</strong></div>
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<div class="column">CommSec is pencilling in another rate cut for August.</div>
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<div class="column">But we are looking for significant debate about whether there is value in cutting rates much further.</div>
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<div class="column">The southeastern corner of Australia is arguably at or near full-employment. But there is a huge gap to the other states.</div>
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<div class="column">The Reserve Bank Governor has a super-important speech in a week’s time: “The Labour Market and Spare Capacity”. Aussies will be hanging on every word.</div>
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<p><span><em>Craig James is the chief economist at <a href="https://www.comsec.com.au/default.aspx" target="_blank">CommSec</a>.</em> </span></p>
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Australia's two-speed job market: CommSec's Craig James

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<p>The unemployment rate is 4.9%, but the underemployment rate is 8.1%.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>This is the third in a three-part mini-symposium on Wages, Unemployment and Underemployment presented by The Conversation and the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. Read the other pieces in the series <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/assa-symposium-67964" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p>For the moment, Australia’s unemployment rate has a “4” in front of it. The rate for February, released on Thursday, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6202.0" target="_blank">came in at 4.9%</a>. It’s the first time the rate has begun with a four since the Rudd/Gillard government when it dipped below 5% several times, and since the Howard and Rudd governments in the leadup the global financial crisis when it usually began with a four and at one point dipped to 3.9%.</p>
<p>It’d be good news were it not for another, almost as important, indicator - the underemployment rate.</p>
<p>Workers are underemployed when they are working fewer hours than they want to. They might be working part-time instead of full-time, or part-time for 10 hours a week instead of 20, or full-time at 35 hours instead of 40.</p>
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<p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265049/original/file-20190321-93051-e32m42.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""><span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6202.0" target="_blank">ABS Labour Force</a></span></p>
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<p>Over the past five years the proportion of the workforce underemployed has climbed from 7.2% to 8.1% while the unemployment rate has climbed from 5.2%, then fallen, hitting 4.9%.</p>
<p>The underemployed are disproportionately women (60%), and are concentrated in the retail, health care and hospitality industries. Their jobs are more likely to be insecure, with inadequate hours often accompanied by unpredictable or uncertain hours.</p>
<p>They are in industries that have seen growth in temporary migrant workers and the systematic underpayment of workers, reflecting changes in the temporary visa system as well as <a href="https://doi.org/10.20851/wages-crisis-04" target="_blank">weaknesses in the enforcement of wage laws</a>.</p>
<p>Wages are the other side of the bad news. No one who has made a regular appearance at the plethora of parliamentary inquiries that have accompanied the rewriting of Australia’s industrial relations system over the past 23 years would be surprised that wage growth is bumping along at historic lows.</p>
<p>The reworked industrial relations system - and the social, cultural, economic and labour market context in which it sits - has reshaped power at work. Wave after wave of change has had the end result of shifting power to employers. And it is that change in power that, more than anything, explains the stalling of wages growth.</p>
<p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265055/original/file-20190321-93060-qtde5w.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265055/original/file-20190321-93060-qtde5w.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a> <span class="caption">Open letter in Tuesday’s Financial Review.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://ppesydney.net/open-letter-on-the-benefits-of-promoting-faster-wage-growth/" target="_blank">AFR</a></span></p>
<p>As 124 labour market experts said in their <a href="http://ppesydney.net/open-letter-on-the-benefits-of-promoting-faster-wage-growth/" target="_blank">open letter in support of wages growth</a> published in the Australian Financial Review this week, we are witnessing the longest sustained rate of slow wage growth since the end of the Second World War.</p>
<p>It certainly isn’t the result of falling productivity, which has actually climbed 39% in the past two decades while real wages have climbed only 14%.</p>
<p>The feminisation of employment has also helped shift the power balance at work. Women’s share of the total workforce climbed from 43% to 47% between 1999 and 2019.</p>
<p>Research in many countries tells us that women are no less inclined to join a union and have no less an appetite to improve their working conditions than men. However, women’s caring responsibilities and the practical demands they face, along with the nature of the industries in which they work, often make it harder for them to bargain or to take industrial action.</p>
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<p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265052/original/file-20190321-93044-12f77y7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265052/original/file-20190321-93044-12f77y7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6345.0" target="_blank">ABS wage price index</a></span></p>
<hr>
<p>Analysts focus on the causes of this historic wages stall. Reserve Bank Governors caution about its consequences for the economy. But in thousands of households across Australia, a five-year stall in wages growth exacts a high human cost. It particularly affects those already on low pay, for whom a few dollars a week mean the difference between making rent, paying for school excursions or filling the fridge. ‘Frugal comfort’ of the kind promised by Justice Higgins in 1906 (to full-time men at least), is a long way from the anxiety that flatlining wages mean for many Australians.</p>
<p>The wage system shapes the fortunes of Australian households. Its reverberations have become more powerful with the growing number of two-earner households and a retirement incomes system that increasingly mirrors wage earnings.</p>
<p>The growing awareness of wage inequality and unevenly rewarded productivity, in combination with increasing job insecurity and weakening protections at work, is likely to feed into the election campaign.</p>
<p>Redressing the basic and widening power imbalance that underlies the employment and wage statistics has become a public necessity that has supporters in some surprising places. It is overdue.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>The <a href="https://www.assa.edu.au" target="_blank">Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia</a> is one of Australia’s four learned academies. The ASSA coordinates the promotion of research, teaching and advice in the social sciences, promotes scholarly cooperation across disciplines, comments on national needs and priorities in the social sciences, and provides advice to government on issues of national importance.</em><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/113360/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;"></p>
<p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/barbara-pocock-7079" target="_blank">Barbara Pocock</a>, Emeritus Professor University of South Australia, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180" target="_blank">University of South Australia</a></em></span></p>
<p>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/jobs-but-not-enough-work-how-power-keeps-workers-anxious-and-wages-low-113360" target="_blank">original article</a>.</p>
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Jobs but not enough work. How power keeps workers anxious and wages low

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<p>EXPERT OBSERVER</p>
<p>Gig platforms don’t have a large share of the labour market yet.</p>
<p>A common narrative nowadays is that standard, secure full-time work is a thing of the past thanks to increasing casual jobs, labour hire, temping and non-standard work contracts that side-step collective bargaining. The ACTU says insecure work has grown to “<a href="https://www.actu.org.au/media/349417/lives_on_hold.pdf" target="_blank">crisis levels</a>”. A <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Education_and_Employment/AvoidanceofFairWork" target="_blank">Senate inquiry rehashed</a> the same themes last year. Much of the academic literature is also <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10301763.2018.1427424?journalCode=rlab20" target="_blank">toeing this line</a>.</p>
<p>Yet there is very little evidence that jobs are any less secure than they were decades ago. This is not to deny that some people are leading very precarious lives. <a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/federal/company-fined-record-660000-for-paying-refugee-worker-as-little-as-350-an-hour-20170802-gxnrsf" target="_blank">Recent stories</a> of wage theft and exploitation, particularly among migrant workers, are truly disgraceful.</p>
<p>But, on the whole, Australian workers are not on some inexorable march toward an uncertain and perilous future of work.</p>
<p>It is true that the labour market has changed. The types of jobs we do and the industries we do them in are very different today than in the ’70s. There’s a <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-charts-on-how-part-time-work-is-growing-more-slowly-but-more-men-are-doing-it-79352" target="_blank">lot more part-time work</a>. There’s a lot <a href="https://theconversation.com/women-are-less-likely-to-be-replaced-by-robots-and-might-even-benefit-from-automation-96728" target="_blank">more women</a> in the workforce. The balance of industrial power has shifted in favour of employers.</p>
<p>These changes partly reflect the restructuring of the economy away from some industries (such as manufacturing) and toward those that offer more part-time and casual work (retail, food, accommodation services and the like). But it is also the result of decades of concerted industrial relations reform, along with sweeping changes in individual work preferences.</p>
<p>There is no widely accepted definition of precarious employment. After all, every job is precarious to some extent. Nevertheless there are some common proxies for this slippery concept.</p>
<p>The rise of casual employment was <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10301763.1998.10669175" target="_blank">an early favourite</a> and is still very relevant. More <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-8462.12085" target="_blank">recent research</a> has broadened the scope to include job tenure and involuntary job-loss rates. <a href="https://theconversation.com/workers-are-actually-feeling-less-insecure-in-their-jobs-81836" target="_blank">Others</a> emphasise workers’ own perceptions of job security. There has also been interest in the rate of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1475-4932.12337" target="_blank">self-employment</a>, the number of <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://ideas.repec.org/a/fli/journl/35019" target="_blank">multiple job holders</a> and the share of workers handled by <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/supporting/labour-hire" target="_blank">labour hire firms</a>.</p>
<p>Four of these measures cut to the heart of precarity:</p>
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<p>casual employment is a measure of precarious contracts</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>job churn reveals the extent to which employers are hiring and firing with impunity</p>
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<p>self-employment captures all of the gig economy workers who are supposedly flooding the labour market</p>
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<p>multiple job holders could be so precariously attached to the labour market that they’re unable to make ends meet with a single job.</p>
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<p>On their own, each of these measures is a good but imperfect proxy for precarity. Taken together, however, they largely speak with one compelling voice.</p>
<p><strong>Casualisation</strong></p>
<p>The logic of the casual job is to give employers the flexibility to dial their staffing levels up and down as demand fluctuates. Casual workers don’t get annual and sick leave, and generally aren’t protected against dismissal.</p>
<p>Basically, a casual contract lets an employer hire and fire with impunity.</p>
<p>That sounds pretty precarious. You would expect that a labour market of increasing precarity would exhibit a strong trend toward casualisation. In fact, what we have had is strong growth in casual employment during the last two decades of the 20th century and then nothing.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/UEcUf/1/" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="400"></iframe></p>
<p>Now there is no doubt that casual work is usually lower-quality work. On the whole, casual workers <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0018726716686666" target="_blank">get paid less, chase more hours</a> and are a little <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1718/CasualEmployeesAustralia" target="_blank">less satisfied</a> than their permanently employed peers.</p>
<p>But that is not evidence that casual employment is becoming ubiquitous.</p>
<p><strong>Churn</strong></p>
<p>If employers really were hiring and firing with abandon we should see more people staying in jobs for briefer periods. But we’re not.</p>
<p>In fact, as we can see in the chart below, there has not been a huge spike in workers forced out of their jobs involuntarily. And the proportion that have been in their jobs for 12 months is also staying on trend.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/QysPX/1/" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="400"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Bni1x/1/" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="400"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Self-employment</strong></p>
<p>This category should be the smoking gun of a more precarious workforce. It captures anyone who works for themselves, whether in a formally constituted company or not. I have deliberately excluded in this measure those who employ others, so we’re really looking at the cohort of people who work for themselves and by themselves on commercial contract terms.</p>
<p>Self-employment captures all non-employees, such as Uber drivers and Foodora riders, as well as those who were “pushed out” of employment and onto contract.</p>
<p>And yet, as you can see in the following chart, these people are getting harder to find:</p>
<p><iframe src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/yt2iA/2/" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="400"></iframe></p>
<p>The downward trend may seem surprising given one supposed key driver of precarity is the digitalised “gig economy”. <a href="https://http-download.intuit.com/http.intuit/CMO/intuit/futureofsmallbusiness/intuit_2020_report.pdf" target="_blank">One projection</a> was that 40% of the US workforce would be freelancers, contractors or temporary workers by 2020.</p>
<p>But the reality is that, for all their visibility and controversy, gig economy platforms are not yet commanding a significant share of the labour market.</p>
<p><strong>Multiple job holders</strong></p>
<p>That a higher share of workers are holding down multiple jobs fits with the notion that the economy is becoming “gigified”, with workers increasingly forced to move from job to job to make ends meet.</p>
<p>Yet the data provide little evidence that this is a material shift in the structure of the labour market.</p>
<p>In 1997, the <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6216.0Aug%201997?OpenDocument" target="_blank">ABS found</a> the proportion of employed persons holding multiple jobs increased from 3.7% in August 1987 to 5.2% a decade later. While the ABS has not published a long-term series since this report, it provided me a custom dataset that shows the current rate is not much higher, at about 5.5%.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6150.0.55.001July%202017?OpenDocument" target="_blank">ABS introduced</a> a similar but not identical measure last year – the proportion of jobs in the economy that are “secondary jobs”. This remained stable between 2010-11 and 2015-16, at around 5.6%.</p>
<p><strong>The takeaway</strong></p>
<p>When I started researching the rise of the gig economy and the future of work I was sure that Australia’s labour market was taking a precarious turn. After all, Uber drivers, Deliveroo riders and Airtaskers seem to be everywhere.</p>
<p>But the weight of evidence clearly suggests that, while the last two decades of the 20th century produced a significant rise in non-standard work, the first two decades of the 21st have seen remarkably little change.</p>
<p>There is much to dislike about the quality and quantity of jobs the economy is delivering. But to make this a conversation about precarity is to chase a red herring.</p>
<p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/99739/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">This fruitless pursuit is simply distracting researchers and policymakers from far more pressing questions – like how to create a globally competitive workforce fit for the 21st century.</p>
<p><em><strong>Robert Sobyra</strong> is a PhD Candidate at The University of Queensland</em></p>
<p><em>This article was originally published on</em> The Conversation.</p>
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Australian jobs aren't becoming less secure: Robert Sobyra

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<p>Land release in South West Sydney is great news for housing affordability but government must now focus on creating jobs in Western Sydney.</p>
<p><span>The release of the of land for 30,000 new homes in Sydney’s south west is great news but the NSW Government must now put their attention on getting jobs in Western Sydney City.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.16px;">The announcement by Minister Roberts of the release of 1,500 hectares for a new community, South </span><span style="font-size: 12.16px;">Creek West in the south west area of Sydney is fantastic news and will help address Sydney’s ongoing </span><span style="font-size: 12.16px;">housing affordability crisis.</span><span style="font-size: 12.16px;"><br></span></p>
<p><span>Provision of timely infrastructure is also critical to ensure that South Creek West community is amenable and accessible. The South West Rail Link should be extended to service this area and will allow future resident</span><span>s to access jobs and services.</span></p>
<p><span>Research shows that 500,000 residents travel from the west to the east of the city every day for work, which takes a huge toll on the transport network, the environment and has social consequences for families and workers. The next step for Government is to deliver the Greater Syd</span><span>ney’s Commission vision of a ‘30 minute City’ by providing jobs which can be accessed easily by those living in these new release areas.</span></p>
<p><span>The future Western Sydney Airport provides immense opportunities for employment in this area. The State </span><span>Government must expedite land release for job creating industries and look at how to use surrounding employment lands in a flexible manner to encourage more jobs are created </span><span>faster.</span></p>
<p><span>New housing supply is absolutely critical to bringing down home prices and getting families and first home buyers into the property market. However, the State Government has recently removed the cap on local infrastructure contributions, an upfront payment which is added onto the cost of a home. Councils have already indicated they are looking to increase these contributions </span><span>by up to $80,000 per dwelling.</span></p>
<p><span>This area is well located and has fantastic potential for growth and development however it is critical that excessive taxes and levies which deter development and drive up housing c</span><span>osts are minimised.</span></p>
<p><span>The Department of Planning &amp; Environment has found that 725,000 new dwellings are required in Sydney by 2056. New release areas such as South Creek West are critical to ensure a steady supply of new housing </span><span>is provided for Sydney’s </span><span>growing population, including freestanding homes and apartments and t</span><span>ownhouses.</span></p>
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<p><span>Planning for this new suburb must be streamlined and efficient. Often the planning process can lag for years before there are homes on the ground. Families need homes now and the less red tape and bureaucracy in the planning process, the faster we will see more d</span><span>wellings put out to the market.</span></p>
<p><span>The Urban Taskforce is keen to be involved in discussions with the NSW Government to ensure that </span><span>planning for this new area takes place in a timely manner and with appropriate densities to </span><span>accommodate Sydney’s growing population and creating more Western Sydney jobs faster.</span></p>
<p><span><em><span>CHRIS JOHNSON</span> is CEO of Urban Taskforce.</em></span></p>
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Government must focus on creating jobs for Western Sydney

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<div>The ABS released its all-important Labour Force data for Janaury 2016. It is perhaps the most important of the data releases, so let's take a canter through it in the three short parts.</div>
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<div><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Part 1 - Employment growth</span></strong></div>
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<div>In seasonally adjusted terms, total employment declined by -7,900 in January to 11,894,500. In trend terms, total employment increased by +19,800.</div>
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<div>Although this was a decline for the headline result which missed market expecations, given the strength of what has gone before, in context it wasn't too bad a result. </div>
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<div><a href="/images/2016/02/19/A1.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
<div><img src="/images/2016/02/19/A1.jpg" alt=""></div>
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<div><span>In trend terms total employment increased by +302,500 over the past year or +2.6 per cent, which is a high rate of employment growth in historical terms. </span></div>
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<div><span>Click to enlarge</span></div>
<div><span><img src="/images/2016/02/19/A7.jpg" alt=""></span></div>
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<div><span>However, the composition of employment does not look quite so pretty, with full time employment decreasing by -40,600 in January, and part time employment increasing by +32,700. </span></div>
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<div><a href="/images/2016/02/19/A2.jpg" target="_blank"><span>Click to enlarge</span></a></div>
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<div>While full time jobs growth has been solid over the past year in rising by +2.0 per cent, the rate of part time jobs growth has been exceptionally high at +3.9 per cent. This probably represents a structural shift towards more casual jobs.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Total hours worked increased by a modest +2.0 per cent over the past year, perhaps a rather more realistic indicator of the strength of employment growth. </div>
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br>Part 2 - NSW &amp; QLD create the jobs</span></strong><br><div> </div>
<div>After some previously massive months of jobs growth, employment in New South Wales (and Victoria) pulled back in January, while Queensland went on to record further gains. </div>
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<div>Over the past six months the economy has created +143,400 jobs, with New South Wales (43 per cent) and Queensland (38 per cent) accounting for more than four-fifths of them.</div>
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<div><a href="/images/2016/02/19/A3.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
<div><img src="/images/2016/02/19/A3.jpg" alt=""></div>
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<div><span>Over the past year employment growth rates have ranged from an enormous +4.7 per cent in New South Wales and +3.3 per cent in Queensland, to a distinctly uninspiring -0.9 per cent in Tasmania. </span></div>
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<div><a href="/images/2016/02/19/A4.jpg" target="_blank"><span>Click to enlarge</span></a></div>
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<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Part 3 - Unemployment rates converge</span></strong><br><br><div>The headline result showed a seasonally adjusted increase in the unemployment rate to 6.0 per cent, which will excite the pessimists. However, the result was probably more middle of the road than anything.</div>
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<div>The participation rate has crept up to 65.2 per cent, the highest level in nearly four years, and while the number of unemployed persons recorded is volatile, it was down by 2.6 per cent over the year.</div>
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<div>The trend unemployment rate ticked down a notch to 5.8 per cent, for a 27 month low. </div>
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<div><a href="/images/2016/02/19/A5.jpg" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a></div>
<div><img src="/images/2016/02/19/A5.jpg" alt=""></div>
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<div><span>At the state level the monthly figures were absolutely wild once again, lurching all over the place. The trend figures point towards convergence rather than divergence between the states, with New South Wales looking to be in the best nick on this measure. </span></div>
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<div><a href="/images/2016/02/19/A6.jpg" target="_blank"><span>Click to enlarge</span></a></div>
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<div class="separator"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The wrap</span></strong></div>
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<div class="separator">The 95 per cent confidence interval figures provided by the ABS (which ranged from -66,500 to +55,700 for the month) serve as a reminder that as estimates the monthly data shouldn't be taken too literally.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The big picture suggests that although annual headline employment growth is high by historical standards, the quality of employment growth is underwhelming, with part time work and under-employment aplenty in evidence. </div>
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<div>As a result ongoing low wages growth is likely to be the order of the day due to the inherent level of slack in the workforce.</div>
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<div>The employment figures weren't too bad on the whole, but notably Goldman Sachs is now forecasting interest rate cuts of 25 basis points in both May and July, so hold on to your hats.</div>
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<p><span><em>PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of <a href="https://allenwargent.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">AllenWargent</a> property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">blogger</a>.</em><br></span></p>
<p><em>His latest book is <a href="https://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/Books/General-Interest/Four-Green-Houses--and-a-Red-Hotel/1015/productview.aspx" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Four Green Houses and a Red Hotel</a>.</em></p>
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