The Roy Morgan Unemployment estimate has shown the resources states of Western Australia and Queensland have the best figures in the country - though the data paints a less rosy picture than those revealed by Australian Bureau of Statistics.
WA's unemployment rate is 7.1 per cent according to the Morgan poll, compared to around 4 per cent in the latest ABS numbers.
Pollster Garry Morgan told online news servive Crikey that "the government understates true unemployment by playing with the definition of employed."
According to Crikey (crikey.com.au), Mr Morgan claims those who work only one hour a week are considered by the government and the ABS as employed, as are those on sickness benefits, and there's even more confusion about consultants and contractors.
Below is the full Roy Morgan announcement:
The Roy Morgan Unemployment estimate rose 0.7% to 7.8% in the December 2005 Quarter, up from 7.1% in the September Quarter. This figure is up 1.1% from the same time last year (6.7%).
This rise in unemployment was driven by a decrease in the number of employed Australians (down 37,000 to 9,457,000 since the September Quarter) - specifically a decrease in the number of full-time employed (down 49,000 to 6,451,000). The number of Australians working part-time rose 12,000 to 3,006,000.
In addition to a decrease in employed Australians since the September Quarter, the number of Australians who are now part of the workforce is up 38,000 to 10,258,000 due to an influx of people looking for part-time work.
An estimated 801,000 Australians were looking for work in the December 2005 Quarter -- up 75,000 since the September 2005 Quarter. The number of Australians seeking full-time employment in the December Quarter was 419,000 (unchanged since September) while 383,000 Australians (up 76,000) were seeking part-time work.
Unemployment in regional and rural areas (8.8%, up 0.5%) is still higher than in capital cities (7.3%, up 0.9%).
For the December Quarter Queensland (6.8%) had the lowest estimated unemployment, followed by Western Australia (7.1%), New South Wales (7.9%), Victoria (8%), Tasmania (9.4%) and South Australia (9.8%).
The December Quarter Roy Morgan Unemployment estimate is based on interviewing 13,288 Australians aged 14 and over face-to-face on the weekends of October to December, 2005.
