This thesis uses employment history data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) longitudinal survey (waves one to eight) to examine the social and spatial factors associated with labour market inequality. Event history and sequence analysis techniques are used to identify and understand patterns of employment inequality within the Australian labour force. There are three empirical components, each investigating different aspects of labour market dynamics: the snapshot, the transition, and the trajectory or employment pattern. Employment disadvantage takes place within a continuum of employment that includes unemployment, time related underemployment and ‘marginal attachment’ to the labour force.