Festive season sees unemployment drop in November

The latest findings from Roy Morgan Research have brought some early festive cheer, after it was revealed the nationwide unemployment rate has dropped last month following a rise in October.

According to Roy Morgan Research, the busy lead-up to Christmas has seen a surge in full-time employment, contributing to the decline in the unemployment rate. The rate now stands at 10.2 per cent, down by 0.5 per cent (representing 65,000 Australians) from October.

As retailers look to take on more staff in the hectic shopping season, there is no doubt that recruitment agencies using the latest efficiency software have helped these businesses find workers to meet rising customer demands.

However, Roy Morgan did note that a substantial proportion of the working population – 9.1 per cent, or 1.13 million people – is still "under-employed", meaning they were only working part-time and seeking more work. This figure is up 0.5 per cent from October.

Gary Morgan, executive chairman of Roy Morgan Research, said this was a concerning issue that required plenty of work from the government.

"Australia's high level of unemployment and under-employment should be a large concern for the new Coalition Government heading towards Christmas – total unemployment and under-employment is now 182,000 higher than this time last year," he said in a December 2 statement.

Despite the unemployment rate slightly dropping off in the lead-up to Christmas, there are still plenty of Australians out there who are actively looking for more work as the year draws to a close. By effectively utilising recruitment software, your agency can help these job seekers find work and enjoy a financially secure Christmas.