gz, the statistics are compiled by personal interviews:"Data are...

gz, the statistics are compiled by personal interviews:

"Data are compiled from the results of the monthly Household Labour Force Survey which covers the civilian population. Data for employed persons by activity in industry are only available for February, May, August and November. The survey covers about 0.5% of the population of Australia and is carried out during the week beginning on the Sunday between the 5th and the 11th of each month (information relates to the week before the interview). Data are collected by personal interviews of persons in selected private and non-private dwellings identified through the five yearly Population Census."

So, you can work for one hour in a month - and you are not unemployed.

http://stats.oecd.org/mei/default.asp?lang=e&subject=10&country=AUS

Redundancy pay doesn't come into it:

"Key statistical concept
Data refer to the number of persons who, during the reference week, worked for one hour or more for pay, profit, commission or payment in kind, in a job or business, or on a farm; or worked for one hour or more without pay in a family business or farm, or as own account workers; or were employees who had a job but were not at work, on strike or locked out, or in full-time study. Persons stood down for less than 4 weeks without pay are now classified as employed."