❓ Mr L'Estrange asks the Treasurer for an update on the January 2016 labour force data. The Treasurer responds, highlighting positive trends in WA's employment figures and criticising the opposition's silence on the matter.
AnsweredQoN 59Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LABOUR FORCE DATA — AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF
STATISTICS
59. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the
Treasurer:
Can the Treasurer please update the
house on the key results from the January 2016 labour force data recently
released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics?
STATISTICS
59. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the
Treasurer:
Can the Treasurer please update the
house on the key results from the January 2016 labour force data recently
released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
Before I give the member the data, he will notice that members opposite did not
come out. Back in November when the unemployment rate shot up quite
significantly from 6.3 per cent to 6.6 per cent, the Leader of the Opposition
and the shadow Treasurer, I think, were saying, ''Woe is us.''
They were quiet in December because the figure went down. Again, last week when
the January figure came out, they were deathly quiet because it went down to
5.9 per cent, which is the second lowest of any state.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Thank you.
Mr
W.J. Johnston interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cannington! You will not believe it but I have not
called one person to order.
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : The employment rate for the month of January went down to 5.9
per cent, the second lowest of any state after New South Wales. That is a good
figure. Even on an annual basis, it is six per cent, the second lowest of any
state. Given the headwinds we face of the move from investment to production
and given the difficulties in the mining and construction sectors due to our
commodity prices, that is a good outcome. Our budget forecast for the year was
6.5 per cent. We are doing well; we are tracking below that.
I might add that Western Australia
has by far the highest participation rate; that is, of people of working age
who are looking for jobs or who are in the workforce. It is four per cent above
the national average. Indeed, it is some eight per cent above Tasmania and
South Australia. The number of people looking for work or in work is
significantly higher than the other states. Given our headwinds, that is a good
outcome. There are some real headwinds facing us but one of the positive things
is that as the mining sector goes down, the mining-related employment sector
goes down, particularly the construction and engineering sector, other sectors
are absorbing the employment. Construction, particularly in the CBD and around
us thanks to our large capital works program to a large extent, is not only
directly creating jobs but also encouraging parallel or adjusted private sector
investment. Also, tourism and other areas are picking up the slack. We are
seeing a decline in the average wage as the high prices in the construction
sector come down but people are getting work.
An opposition member interjected.
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : I am talking to the person who asked the question. He is
interested. That is the difference.
This is a good outcome. We have a lot
more work to do but it shows a few things. First, our strategic policy of
keeping the capital works program going is helping people get jobs,
particularly the types of jobs that the member for Cockburn says he is
interested in. Second, the economy is much broader than those opposite like to
claim. Third, we know that the unemployment rate is volatile from month to
month, unlike those opposite. We know it will go up and down but we are on the
job, unlike members opposite.
Before I give the member the data, he will notice that members opposite did not
come out. Back in November when the unemployment rate shot up quite
significantly from 6.3 per cent to 6.6 per cent, the Leader of the Opposition
and the shadow Treasurer, I think, were saying, ''Woe is us.''
They were quiet in December because the figure went down. Again, last week when
the January figure came out, they were deathly quiet because it went down to
5.9 per cent, which is the second lowest of any state.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Thank you.
Mr
W.J. Johnston interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cannington! You will not believe it but I have not
called one person to order.
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : The employment rate for the month of January went down to 5.9
per cent, the second lowest of any state after New South Wales. That is a good
figure. Even on an annual basis, it is six per cent, the second lowest of any
state. Given the headwinds we face of the move from investment to production
and given the difficulties in the mining and construction sectors due to our
commodity prices, that is a good outcome. Our budget forecast for the year was
6.5 per cent. We are doing well; we are tracking below that.
I might add that Western Australia
has by far the highest participation rate; that is, of people of working age
who are looking for jobs or who are in the workforce. It is four per cent above
the national average. Indeed, it is some eight per cent above Tasmania and
South Australia. The number of people looking for work or in work is
significantly higher than the other states. Given our headwinds, that is a good
outcome. There are some real headwinds facing us but one of the positive things
is that as the mining sector goes down, the mining-related employment sector
goes down, particularly the construction and engineering sector, other sectors
are absorbing the employment. Construction, particularly in the CBD and around
us thanks to our large capital works program to a large extent, is not only
directly creating jobs but also encouraging parallel or adjusted private sector
investment. Also, tourism and other areas are picking up the slack. We are
seeing a decline in the average wage as the high prices in the construction
sector come down but people are getting work.
An opposition member interjected.
Dr
M.D. NAHAN : I am talking to the person who asked the question. He is
interested. That is the difference.
This is a good outcome. We have a lot
more work to do but it shows a few things. First, our strategic policy of
keeping the capital works program going is helping people get jobs,
particularly the types of jobs that the member for Cockburn says he is
interested in. Second, the economy is much broader than those opposite like to
claim. Third, we know that the unemployment rate is volatile from month to
month, unlike those opposite. We know it will go up and down but we are on the
job, unlike members opposite.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.