November 15, 2018
The LNP Opposition has blasted the State Government over the latest jobs data released by the Australian Bureau Of Statistics.
Jobs data released on Thursday shows Queensland now has the worst unemployment rate in the nation, running at a seasonally adjusted rate of 6.3 per cent.
This is despite Australia’s trend unemployment falling from 5.2 to 5.0 per cent, seasonally adjusted.
LNP Deputy Leader Tim Mander said Labor’s economic mismanagement and five new taxes were directly responsible for the Queensland unemployment rate.
“Queensland is now the only State or Territory to have a six in front of its unemployment rate,” Mr Mander said.
“Recently, Queensland has shared cellar-dweller status with Western Australia, but now we are outright last and going further backwards.”
Mr Mander said Queensland’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate had jumped to 6.3 per cent, despite Australia’s unemployment rate staying at a six-year low of 5.0 per cent.
“Queensland jobs growth also went backwards in the last month on both trend and seasonally adjusted terms,” he said.
“The government’s economic mismanagement has led to nothing but the worst unemployment in the nation and debt soaring to $83 billion.”
Shadow Minister for Employment Fiona Simpson said there were now 165,291 unemployed Queenslanders on trend terms – an increase of 1227 in a month.
“Labor can’t keep defending the shocking unemployment rate when everyday jobseekers are hurting because they can’t get a job,” Ms Simpson said.
“While Australia enjoys a jobs boom, Labor has bucked the trend and made getting a job in Queensland that much harder.
“We need action to grow job numbers, but all we are getting from Labor are excuses.”
