Since 2012, insecure work in Australia has risen significantly according to the new report released by the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work. 

Based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data over the past five years, paid full-time employment with leave entitlements has dropped from 51.35 per cent to 49.97 per cent in the Australian workforce. 

According to the authors of the report “The Dimensions of Insecure Work” Dr Tanya Carney and Dr Jim Stanford, insecure work in Australia could be the result of different indicators including the increase of part-time work, casual employment, self-employment, temporary foreign migrants, and the decrease of enterprise agreements. 

“Insecure work has become the new normal,” Dr Stanford said. 

According to the ABS data, part-time share of total employment has increased from 29.7 per cent in 2012 to 31.7 per cent in 2017. 

Casual employment with no paid leave entitlements has increased from 23.5 per cent in 2012 to 25.1 per cent in 2017. 

The rate of self-employed workers has also increased from 32 per cent in 2012 to 35 per cent in 2017. 

Comparatively, private sector employees covered by the enterprise agreements have decreased from 18.9 per cent in 2012 to 12.4 per cent in 2017. 

Younger Australians under the age of 30 were also suffering in the recent Australian labour market, as their share in full-time employment dropped from 42.5 per cent in 2012 to 38.9 per cent in 2017. 

The report described Australia’s labour market as more challenging in the recent years due to the quantity of work available compared to the number of people who need jobs, and the deteriorating quality of work.