The Global Policy Network has released a comprehensive labor market and economic analysis of Australia, written by the National Institute of Labour Studies based in Adelaide.

Labor market reforms carried out under the conservative government of John Howard are resulting in an increase in informality. Currently, a quarter of all workers are in "casual" jobs that do not provide sick leave or vacations. Promised reductions in unemployment have been very slow to be realized with official unemployment falling only 2.5%, from 8% to 5.5%, over a ten year period.
Intensification of work continues and Australians now work the longest hours in the developed world: 1,855 hours per year, on average, as compared to the U.S. (1,835), Japan (1,821) and New Zealand (1,817). One in five Australians puts in more than 50 hours per week. Females have a higher rate of unemployment (5.7%) than males (5.5%). Poverty has risen from 12.0% in 1990 to 20.8% in 2000. The percentage of workers in unions has fallen from 39.6% in 1992 to 23% in 2003.

• Read the report