Full-time workers stay longer with same employer

October 13 2003 - Full-time workers stay longer with their employers than part-timers, according to recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

More than three-quarters (77%) of the 7.7 million employees aged 15 years and over in the Australian workforce at November 2002 had been with their current employer for one year or more. This compares with 77% in 1998 and 75% in 1996.

Fewer than a half (43%) of full-time employees had worked five years or more for their current employer but this was still greater than the comparable figure for - 30% - for part-timers. Conversely, almost a a third (30%) of part-time employees had worked less than one year for their current employer compared with 20% of full-time employees.

57% of the 6 million workers who had been with their present employer a year or more reported some change in work during the previous 12 months - compared with 55% in 1998 and 54% in 1996. Women workers were more likely than men to report changes hours (24% compared with 15%). Male employees were more likely to have experienced no change in work (46% compared with 40%).

In general, changes most commonly reported were:

• More responsibility (40%);
• New, different or extra duties (38%); and
• Change in hours (19%).

Approximately 691,000 workers who had children under the age of six years took a break from work when the youngest child was born. Of these, 54,000 (8%) stopped working when their youngest child was born. Most of those who ceased work were female (96%).

Further information can be found in Career Experience, Australia, November 2002 (cat. no. 6254.0).

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