In September 1998, among people not fully employed there were more women than men wanting work - 1.2 million women compared to 909,000 men. Circumstances such as ill health can prevent people from having a job, and not all people of working age need paid employment for financial reasons. However, one of the more pressing social issues, particularly affecting those who do not have other means to support themselves, is that there are large numbers of people whose needs and interests in obtaining work are not satisfied.
Unemployment provides a measure of people at risk of being in financial or social distress.
However, while serving to identify those in greatest need of support, it does not provide a complete picture of the extent to which people may want jobs. For example, there are many people with part-time jobs who want to work longer hours. There are also many people, such as students and mothers with young children, who want a paid job to suit their circumstances but who are not actively looking for work. It also provides a broader view of the extent of under-utilised labour in Australia than that obtained from counting unemployed people alone. People wanting work Through its program of monthly labour force and supplementary surveys, the ABS collects a range of information about the labour market activity and work aspirations of people aged 15 years and over.