Workforce Participation Rates

What do workforce participation rates tell us?

Workforce Participation Rates are based upon the resident population over the age of 15 years who are either employed or are actively looking for work. The number of people who are no longer actively searching for work would not be included in the participation rate. A region’s Workforce Participation Rate helps to identify local workforce availability which in turn provides opportunities for businesses looking to expand and new businesses looking to establish themselves in the region. 

What do Blayney’s Workforce Participation Rates tell us?

Blayney has a comparatively high Labour Force Participation rate indicating that the region’s labour force contribute significantly to the local economy and benefit from subsequent economic and social advantages. 

Blayney’s detailed workforce participation rates

Table 4.1 shows that the majority of those employed in part-time work were females whilst those participating in full-time work were predominantly male. There were also a number of people who were actively seeking both full-time and part-time work within the region.

What opportunities does Blayney’s Workforce Participation rates present?

High workforce participation rates and a subsequent steady income, presents businesses looking to expand or relocate, with a comparatively affluent resident population providing a steady customer base for goods and services. Residents actively looking for employment also provides employers with an available workforce. In Blayney’s case most residents looking for part-time work are female whilst males make up the majority of full-time job seekers. This provides the basis of targeting industries which rely on flexible part-time workers and the more traditional business providing standard full-time employment.

What is the relationship between educational attainment and unemployment?

The diagram below clearly illustrates the relationship between educational attainment and unemployment. Persons with a Certificate III or higher qualification have a significantly lower unemployment rate whilst those with no qualifications or only a Certificate I/II are more likely to be unemployed. 
The unemployment rate for persons with no post-school qualification was 7.7% in 2012. For those with a Certificate III or above, the unemployment rate was on average, 3.4%.