'Real' Australian jobless rate near 12pc

The Australian jobless rate is far greater than the 5.7 per cent recorded in March, a think-tank says.

March data released on Thursday showed unemployment jumped from 5.2 per cent in February, the biggest monthly jump since July 1991.

But an analysis of recent Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data by the Australia Institute shows that in September 2008, there were 780,900 people who did not have a job and wanted to work, but were not included in the unemployment figures.

Taking account of these "hidden unemployed" brings Australia's real rate of unemployment to 11.7 per cent.

It says "hidden unemployment" refers to those who were not actively seeking work in the week the ABS was conducting its monthly survey, but were nonetheless looking for work.

These people tended to list their main activity as attending an educational institution, household duties and caring for children.

The institute says combining the official rate with the "hidden unemployment rate" gives a more accurate picture of the number of jobless.

- AAP