As the world struggles to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, workers without paid leave entitlements are clearly among the most vulnerable in the sudden economic downturn. 

The ACTU has repeatedly said 3.3 million Australians, or one in three workers, are "casuals, contractors, labour hire and gig workers", a number repeated by Labor politicians such as Tanya Plibersek, Tony Burke and Linda Burney.

Others, such as Labor's Stephen Jones and Attorney General Christian Porter, have suggested the proportion of the workforce made up of casual workers is closer to one in four. Who is correct?

According to the latest Characteristics of Employment figures from the ABS, there were 2.6 million employees in Australia without paid leave entitlements in August 2019, compared to 8.1 million employees with paid leave entitlements.

That puts the rate of casual work at 24 per cent, in line with the proportion cited by Mr Porter and Mr Jones.

It's important to note that this rate only includes employees and not all workers — self-employed Australians and the owners of businesses with employees are not included in this measure.

The ACTU's claim that 3.3 million Australian workers were without paid leave entitlements is likely an understatement.

Combining the estimated number of self-employed workers with those in casual employment would suggest as many as 4.8 million Australian workers, or 37 per cent of the national workforce, did not have access to paid leave entitlements in the lead-up to the coronavirus outbreak.

The figure includes labour hire workers, contractors and workers in the gig economy as referenced in claims made by the ACTU and Labor politicians such as Tanya Plibersek, and more closely aligns with claims that one in three workers have no paid leave.