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Article: Flexible measures for a flexible labour market.(Opinion)
- Article from:
- Australian Bulletin of Labour
- Article date:
- June 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 National Institute of Labour Studies Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Abstract
The system of labour market statistics in Australia is in need of reform. The principal measure of labour market performance, the unemployment rate, was developed in an era when the labour market was characterized by full-time male bread-winners. Over the last two decades, deregulation and structural change have transformed the labour market radically. Underemployment of part-time and casual workers is now a serious problem, as is the issue of overwork. Yet a proper understanding of these important trends is missing from public debate and policy-making because they are not captured in the official statistics.
A single summary indicator cannot ...