Earn
283,000 students without a job
The number of students working while they study fell by 283,000 between May 2019 and May 2020, official data shows.

283,000 students without a job
The number of students working while they study fell by 283,000 between May 2019 and May 2020, official data shows.

Stats collated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show the proportion of students aged between 15-64 who were employed fell from 54 to 50 per cent.
The survey also showed that 1.4 million people were studying at higher education institutions and just under half a million (475,000) were studying at technical and further education (TAFE) institutions.
ABS director of education and training statistics, Steven Nicholas, said this reflected a general drop in engagement in work and/or study between May 2019 and May 2020, with full-time engagement dropping from 66 per cent of people aged 15-64 in May 2019 to 63 per cent in May 2020.
“The decrease was mainly due to a fall in people working full-time, from 51 per cent to 49 per cent,” Mr Nicholas said.
“Due to fewer international students, there was also an overall decrease in people studying for a Certificate III or above.”
Young people were more likely to be not working or studying at all, rising from 11 per cent of people aged 20-24 years in May 2019 to 16 per cent this year.
“This was particularly noticeable for 20 to 24-year-olds, 41 per cent compared with 44 per cent in 2019, a drop of 66,100 students.”
“There was also a fall in apprentices, from 5 per cent of 15 to 24-year-olds in May 2019 to 4 per cent in May 2020,” Mr Nicholas concluded.
About the author

About the author


Salary
Job ads jump to 3-year high
Australian businesses are continuing to look for new staff, with job ads rising for the ninth consecutive month, new research has revealed. ...Read more

Salary
ACTU pushes for part-time retail hours
Businesses and unions have struck a deal to increase the hours for part-time employees, which they state will increase flexibility for businesses and certainty for workers. ...Read more

Salary
Low-paid jobs recovery hits wages growth
The average weekly pay of a full-time worker has fallen narrowly in November 2020, official stats have revealed. ...Read more

Salary
Unions call for ‘Aviation Keeper’ lifeline as Qantas posts $1.03bn loss
Australia’s national airline has posted a $1.03 billion half-yearly loss before tax, with the airline’s union calling for an extension of the JobKeeper program to support workers. ...Read more

Salary
IR reforms to ‘suppress wages for years to come’
Unions have hit out at the proposed industrial relations law, approved recently by the lower house, arguing it would leave workers worse off with cuts to take-home pay and conditions, few rights and ...Read more

Salary
JobSeeker rise a ‘half-arsed PR exercise’
The federal government’s plan to permanently increase JobSeeker by $50 a fortnight has been slammed by industry experts for leaving 1.2 million Australians at the mercy of poverty. ...Read more

Salary
Why 1.5m Australians could be out of work by 2030
One and a half million Australians are set to lose their jobs to automation by 2030 as technology overtakes traditional workers, a new report has revealed. ...Read more

Salary
UK’s top court declares Uber drivers ‘workers’ in landmark case
The UK Supreme Court has ruled that Uber must clarify its drivers as workers instead of independent contractors, which could have major implications for the gig economy worldwide. ...Read more

Salary
Job ads jump to 3-year high
Australian businesses are continuing to look for new staff, with job ads rising for the ninth consecutive month, new research has revealed. ...Read more

Salary
ACTU pushes for part-time retail hours
Businesses and unions have struck a deal to increase the hours for part-time employees, which they state will increase flexibility for businesses and certainty for workers. ...Read more

Salary
Low-paid jobs recovery hits wages growth
The average weekly pay of a full-time worker has fallen narrowly in November 2020, official stats have revealed. ...Read more

Salary
Unions call for ‘Aviation Keeper’ lifeline as Qantas posts $1.03bn loss
Australia’s national airline has posted a $1.03 billion half-yearly loss before tax, with the airline’s union calling for an extension of the JobKeeper program to support workers. ...Read more

Salary
IR reforms to ‘suppress wages for years to come’
Unions have hit out at the proposed industrial relations law, approved recently by the lower house, arguing it would leave workers worse off with cuts to take-home pay and conditions, few rights and ...Read more

Salary
JobSeeker rise a ‘half-arsed PR exercise’
The federal government’s plan to permanently increase JobSeeker by $50 a fortnight has been slammed by industry experts for leaving 1.2 million Australians at the mercy of poverty. ...Read more

Salary
Why 1.5m Australians could be out of work by 2030
One and a half million Australians are set to lose their jobs to automation by 2030 as technology overtakes traditional workers, a new report has revealed. ...Read more

Salary
UK’s top court declares Uber drivers ‘workers’ in landmark case
The UK Supreme Court has ruled that Uber must clarify its drivers as workers instead of independent contractors, which could have major implications for the gig economy worldwide. ...Read more