Small Area Labour Markets

Small Area Labour Markets Survey

If you have not already completed the SALM survey, we invite you to share your experience. Your response to this short survey (approximately 5 to 10 minutes), linked below, is valuable to us and will help guide the future scope and direction of SALM.

Your participation in this survey is completely voluntary and any information you share will be used for research and evaluation purposes only. Information shared in this survey will be confidential and protected under the Privacy Act 1988.

Start the SALM Survey

If you have any questions, please contact salm@dewr.gov.au.

New and revised population data

In August 2025, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released its annual Regional Population by Age and Sex data. The release included revised Estimated Residential Population (ERP) estimates for June 2023 and new estimates for June 2024. Accordingly, the SALM estimates have been revised back to the September quarter 2022.

SALM users are encouraged to always refer to the most recently released figures, as the estimates published in previous quarters may have been revised.

Impact of natural disasters on SALM estimates

The ABS has advised that the natural disasters in New South Wales and Queensland in early 2025, including ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and other major flooding events, resulted in disruptions to the collection of the LFS data in some regions in both February and March 2025. To manage the impact of these events, the ABS imputed some sample responses within the Mid North Coast (NSW) and Moreton Bay – North (Qld) SA4s for March 2025 and in the Townsville (Qld) SA4 for February and March 2025. Data for these areas were also affected, at least in part, by temporary suspensions to mutual obligations (see below).

In view of the above, the March quarter 2025 SA2 and LGA unsmoothed estimates that lie within the affected SA4s should be viewed with caution. There may also be a minor impact on smoothed estimates for affected SA2s and LGAs for the June and March quarter 2025 figures.

Changes to mutual obligation requirements in some areas

Mutual obligation requirements are tasks and activities that people agree to undertake while they are receiving certain types of income support, including the JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (other). From time-to-time, and for a range of reasons, these requirements can be suspended. During the September quarter 2021, for example, mutual obligation requirements were temporarily paused in areas affected by the Delta COVID-19 variant and associated lockdowns. Similarly, mutual obligation requirements may also be suspended in regions that are affected by natural disasters or other major disruptive events.

The suspension of mutual obligation requirements can have an impact on the SALM data. This is because the ABS only considers someone to be unemployed if they are actively looking for work. When mutual obligation requirements are suspended, it is possible that some job seekers may not have undertaken the job search that they normally would have, in which case they would be classified by the ABS as not in the labour force rather than unemployed.

For more information on mutual obligation requirements, please see the Services Australia website.

Using SALM data - with caution

When using and interpreting SALM data:

• Be aware movements may reflect statistical volatility rather than underlying changes in the labour market
• Always use the latest SALM release
• Where possible, use year-on-year comparisons
• Where possible, use the smoothed estimates
• Be aware that SALM smoothed estimates lag changes in labour market conditions
• Do not derive employment estimates
• Use other data sources in addition to SALM.

SALM data can be volatile

Unemployment and unemployment rate estimates at the SA2 and LGA level can be volatile. This is especially the case for SA2s and LGAs that are located within a Statistical Area Level 4 where the ABS unmodelled, direct survey LFS data are also highly volatile. SALM users should take particular care where:

• There are large movements in SALM data
• SA2s and LGAs have a small labour force (less than 1,000)

Always use the most-recently released SALM data, even for earlier periods

Always use the most-recently released SALM data, as SALM figures for earlier periods can be revised.

The ABS rebenchmarks its LFS estimates on a quarterly basis to ensure that they are based on the most up-to-date population information. These revisions are reflected in the latest SALM estimates.

When new Census benchmarks become available, SALM estimates are revised back a number of years to reflect these new benchmarks.

Where possible, use year-on-year comparisons

Quarterly movements in the SALM data may not reflect actual changes in the labour market. We recommend considering year-on-year comparisons in the data.

Where possible, use the smoothed estimates

We recommend that SALM users analyse the smoothed SALM data, given the high degree of volatility that is inherent in small area estimates.

SALM smoothed estimates lag changes in labour market conditions

The smoothed SALM series is created by applying an average to four quarters of unsmoothed data. This means that changes in the smoothed SALM series will lag actual changes in labour market conditions.

While the unsmoothed data are likely to be more responsive to changes in labour market conditions, they are also subject to high levels of statistical variability.

Interpret the unsmoothed SALM series with caution. Even large movements could reflect statistical variability rather than actual changes in labour market conditions.

Do not derive employment estimates

It is not appropriate to derive employment from the figures in SALM. See the SALM Methodology page for more details.

Use other data sources in addition to SALM

We recommend that users also consider other sources of information at the small area level. This is particularly the case for SA2s exhibiting high levels of volatility. Other useful sources of data include:

• The ABS Census of Population and Housing
• Income support payment data

SALM methodology

SALM presents estimates based on the Structure Preserving Estimation (SPREE) methodology. SPREE enables the generation of small area unemployment, unemployment rate and labour force estimates.

Visit the SALM methodology page to find out more about the methodology, source data, and geographical classification that underpin SALM.

View the SALM methodology page

Downloads

SA2 Data Tables

Smoothed SALM estimates at the SA2 level are available for download in Microsoft Excel or comma-separated values format.

SALM Smoothed SA2 Datafiles (ASGS 2021) – September quarter 2025

LGA Data Tables

Smoothed SALM estimates at the LGA level are available for download in Microsoft Excel or comma-separated values format below.

SALM Smoothed LGA Datafiles (ASGS 2025) – September quarter 2025

Contact

For more information about SALM, email salm@dewr.gov.au.