Older workers are being left behind and face long periods without a job even as Australia's overall unemployment rate falls to a two and a half year low, new data shows.
The average time unemployed 55 to 64 year olds spend looking for work has hit an 11-year high, according to detailed labour force data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday.
For all age groups, the average time spent searching without success in March was 46 weeks.
But the average masks a split between a large number of unemployed taking a shorter time to find work, and a small number spending very long periods out of a job.
While the average time of unemployment is 28 weeks for 15 to 24 year olds, that time rises through the age brackets to peak at 116 weeks, or two years and three months, for the 55 to 64 years age group.
The reading for 55-to-64s is the highest since late 2004.
The gap between young and old is even more pronounced for long-term unemployed out of work for a year or more.
In the younger age group, average time out of work in March was 102 weeks but for 55 to 64 year olds, it was 254 weeks - nearly three years longer.
AVERAGE DURATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT
15-24 years: 28 weeks (Long term 102 weeks)
25-34 years: 33 weeks (Long term 117 weeks)
35-44 years: 48 weeks (Long term 157 weeks)
45-54 years: 58 weeks (Long term 175 weeks)
55-64 years: 116 weeks (Long term 254 weeks)
65 and over: 33 weeks (Long term 158 weeks)
All ages: 46 weeks (Long term 157 weeks)
Source: ABS
