During the global financial crisis workers who stayed in their jobs did not reduce their working hours, despite widespread government and commentator claims that cuts in hours had helped stem job losses during the downturn.

The Australian labour market is experiencing a period of substantial change, within both the economic and industrial relations environments. This third annual Australia at Work report provides a first look at how these changes are impacting on working life. The report distinguishes between changes that have occurred in the last year, during the economic downturn, and the ongoing dynamics of the Australian labour market. The purpose of this report is to provide a first descriptive take of the most recent data in order to generate debate about how Australian working life is evolving both in the short and longer term.