Population and labour movements in rural Australia

Rural Australia comprises 37 per cent of Australia's population, and 35.5 per cent of the total workforce. Given this significance, rural population and labour markets, should be the focus of much research and analysis particularly for government policy relating to the provision of physical and social infrastructure. Yet, generally, rural labour markets have not received the attention that other labour markets in Australia have. This paper analyses the characteristics and trends in Australia's rural labour markets to identify areas of change or stability over time