A preliminary analysis of ABS labour mobility surveys for 1989 and 1992 reveals that job mobility within the Australian States occurs more quickly in the boom conditions of 1989 compared with the recession of 1992. And it is generally more rapid in the dynamic regional economies, in particular Queensland, WA and NSW. Male mobility in each State is correlated with tenure and industry unemployment rates at different points of the cycle. The positive association of unemployment and mobility supports the relevance of Lilien's structural adjustment of male mobility in the State economies. Female labour turnover is not responsive to unemployment and depends less often on tenure. Earnings play a limited role in explaining labour mobility generally. Copyright 1996 by The Economic Society of Australia.
