Job Finding in Australia

Abstract

Although studies of the labour market have concentrated on employment and unemployment, there have been few Australian studies of job-search experiences. This report documents the methods used by people to obtain jobs in 1982, 1986 and 1990. It considers the proposition that informal job-seeking methods are more likely to lead to employment and that most jobs are obtained without prior knowledge of the vacancy. The data for this report were derived from the Australian Bureau of Statistics monthly labour force survey of households (published and unpublished data) in 1982, 1986 and 1990. Around 1.8 million individuals had started in a new job and at least 35 per cent of jobs resulted from approaches made without prior knowledge that the job was available. Friends and relatives accounted for some 17 per cent of placements and in 25 per cent of cases, the employer approached the job seeker, bringing the proportion of informal methods to at least 77 per cent. Results confirm the views of experienced career counsellors that there is a large and informal labour market.