This graph shows where people are placed in the household income rankings, according to whether their household reference person (usually the member with the highest income) is employed, unemployed or not in the paid workforce. People in households where the reference person is either not in the labour force or unemployed are concentrated in the lowest 20% income group. Of all people in households where the reference person is unemployed, 77% are in the lowest 20%, along with 59% where the reference person is of working age but outside the paid workforce, and 42% where the reference person is 65 years or over and retired.

On the other hand, 29% of people in households where the reference person is employed full-time are in the highest 20%. Living in a household where the reference person is employed part-time (meaning there is unlikely to be a full-time earner in the household) is no guarantee of a good household income. Of all people in these households, only 11% are found in the highest 20% and 52% are in the lowest 40%.