A further 1.8 million were either retired or permanently unable to work, stats show
Nearly four million Australians without a job did not want one, according to statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The figures – looking at the December quarter 2024 – found that 2.1 million people did not want a job, despite not having one, with 1.8 million either retired or permanently unable to work.
The main reason for not wanting a job, the ABS said, was ‘no need, satisfied with current arrangements’ – which sat at 45%. For both men and women aged between 18 and 24, ‘Studying or returning to studies’ was the main reason for not wanting a job. Half of men (50%) cited this as the reason for not wanting a job compared to 62% of women.
The main reasons for not wanting to work amongst women were caring for a child (47%) and long-term health condition and disability (26%). The latter reason was the main response given by men (38%).
It was found that, in total, 19 million people aged between 18 and 75 did not have a job in the December quarter of last year.
The data also found 1.1 million people aged between 18 and 75 without a job wanted one, with a million of those (86%) able to start within four weeks.
Of the 3.2 million people who did not have a job, the most important factor associated with either returning to or commencing work was 'Finding a job that matches skills and experience', which was rated as 'Very important' by 33% of people, the report finds.
