The seasonally adjusted employment rate has risen to 6.4 per cent, up from the 6.1 per cent recorded in December of last year. However the participation rate remains at roughly at 64.8 per cent of the population, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Minister for Employment Senator Eric Abetz was quick to address the unexpected jump saying it followed on from strong jobs growth at the end of last year.
“While today’s figures are disappointing — with the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rising to 6.4 per cent — they follow a period of strong job creation in 2014. More than 200,000 new jobs were created in 2014 — more than triple the number of jobs created in 2013. Over 100,000 new jobs were created in the last three months of 2014 alone.”
“The Government has a strong plan to deliver more jobs right across the country and has announced that it will deliver a jobs and small business package in 2015,” Senator Abetz said.
“This will include a small business company tax cut, as part of its focus on building a stronger economy which is a prerequisite for jobs growth.
“We have already delivered on our commitments to get rid of the job-destroying carbon and mining taxes, we are assisting small businesses to grow by removing red and green tape, and we are getting major projects underway with environmental approvals worth one trillion dollars; projects that will provide tens of thousands of jobs far into the future.
“We secured the free trade trifecta – signing agreements with South Korea, Japan and China that will deliver new opportunities for Australian small and medium sized business to grow their exports.”
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