Premier Carpenter answers a question about WA's unemployment figures, highlighting record lows and WA's contribution to the national economy. He also welcomes back a member and offers congratulations.

AnsweredQoN 246Legislative Assembly
Asked
11 May 2006
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES
Can the Premier please advise the house of Western Australia’s latest unemployment figures? Mr A.J. CARPENTER

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for Southern River for the question. I also welcome back to the house the member for Kalgoorlie and say on behalf of everyone on this side of the chamber, congratulations. We wish you and your wife well for the future. [Applause.] Mr A.J. CARPENTER : It is very good news. Australian Bureau of Statistics’ figures released this morning show that the Western Australian unemployment rate has dropped to the lowest figure ever recorded since the current labour force series commenced in 1978. Western Australia has set a record low for unemployment of 3.9 per cent for April 2006, down 0.2 per cent from March. The national unemployment rate has gone up to 5.1 per cent. This is the twenty-first consecutive month that Western Australia’s unemployment levels were at, or below, five per cent. Western Australia’s participation rate remains the highest of all the states at 67.7 per cent. More than 140 000 jobs have been created since the Labor government came to office in 2001. That is something that we should be very proud of. In the past 12 months Western Australia created an additional 32 300 jobs. This was a 3.1 per cent increase in total employment, the strongest rate in the country. Nationally, employment growth was only 1.2 percent, so we are nearly three times the national average in growth. Western Australia has set the record lowest unemployment figures for April. That is very good news. I want to finish on one thing. The reason the national economy is going so well is because of what is happening in Western Australia. We are doing it. We are doing it for the rest of Australia. We are providing the opportunity for the federal government to put in place the tax initiatives and all the other things it has put in place. The Western Australian people and their good work and great effort are carrying the nation forward; and they need to be congratulated.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for Southern River for the question. I also welcome back to the house the member for Kalgoorlie and say on behalf of everyone on this side of the chamber, congratulations. We wish you and your wife well for the future. [Applause.] Mr A.J. CARPENTER : It is very good news. Australian Bureau of Statistics’ figures released this morning show that the Western Australian unemployment rate has dropped to the lowest figure ever recorded since the current labour force series commenced in 1978. Western Australia has set a record low for unemployment of 3.9 per cent for April 2006, down 0.2 per cent from March. The national unemployment rate has gone up to 5.1 per cent. This is the twenty-first consecutive month that Western Australia’s unemployment levels were at, or below, five per cent. Western Australia’s participation rate remains the highest of all the states at 67.7 per cent. More than 140 000 jobs have been created since the Labor government came to office in 2001. That is something that we should be very proud of. In the past 12 months Western Australia created an additional 32 300 jobs. This was a 3.1 per cent increase in total employment, the strongest rate in the country. Nationally, employment growth was only 1.2 percent, so we are nearly three times the national average in growth. Western Australia has set the record lowest unemployment figures for April. That is very good news. I want to finish on one thing. The reason the national economy is going so well is because of what is happening in Western Australia. We are doing it. We are doing it for the rest of Australia. We are providing the opportunity for the federal government to put in place the tax initiatives and all the other things it has put in place. The Western Australian people and their good work and great effort are carrying the nation forward; and they need to be congratulated.
I thank the member for Southern River for the question. I also welcome back to the house the member for Kalgoorlie and say on behalf of everyone on this side of the chamber, congratulations. We wish you and your wife well for the future. [Applause.] Mr A.J. CARPENTER : It is very good news. Australian Bureau of Statistics’ figures released this morning show that the Western Australian unemployment rate has dropped to the lowest figure ever recorded since the current labour force series commenced in 1978. Western Australia has set a record low for unemployment of 3.9 per cent for April 2006, down 0.2 per cent from March. The national unemployment rate has gone up to 5.1 per cent. This is the twenty-first consecutive month that Western Australia’s unemployment levels were at, or below, five per cent. Western Australia’s participation rate remains the highest of all the states at 67.7 per cent. More than 140 000 jobs have been created since the Labor government came to office in 2001. That is something that we should be very proud of. In the past 12 months Western Australia created an additional 32 300 jobs. This was a 3.1 per cent increase in total employment, the strongest rate in the country. Nationally, employment growth was only 1.2 percent, so we are nearly three times the national average in growth. Western Australia has set the record lowest unemployment figures for April. That is very good news. I want to finish on one thing. The reason the national economy is going so well is because of what is happening in Western Australia. We are doing it. We are doing it for the rest of Australia. We are providing the opportunity for the federal government to put in place the tax initiatives and all the other things it has put in place. The Western Australian people and their good work and great effort are carrying the nation forward; and they need to be congratulated.
[Applause.] Mr A.J. CARPENTER : It is very good news. Australian Bureau of Statistics’ figures released this morning show that the Western Australian unemployment rate has dropped to the lowest figure ever recorded since the current labour force series commenced in 1978. Western Australia has set a record low for unemployment of 3.9 per cent for April 2006, down 0.2 per cent from March. The national unemployment rate has gone up to 5.1 per cent. This is the twenty-first consecutive month that Western Australia’s unemployment levels were at, or below, five per cent. Western Australia’s participation rate remains the highest of all the states at 67.7 per cent. More than 140 000 jobs have been created since the Labor government came to office in 2001. That is something that we should be very proud of. In the past 12 months Western Australia created an additional 32 300 jobs. This was a 3.1 per cent increase in total employment, the strongest rate in the country. Nationally, employment growth was only 1.2 percent, so we are nearly three times the national average in growth. Western Australia has set the record lowest unemployment figures for April. That is very good news. I want to finish on one thing. The reason the national economy is going so well is because of what is happening in Western Australia. We are doing it. We are doing it for the rest of Australia. We are providing the opportunity for the federal government to put in place the tax initiatives and all the other things it has put in place. The Western Australian people and their good work and great effort are carrying the nation forward; and they need to be congratulated.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : It is very good news. Australian Bureau of Statistics’ figures released this morning show that the Western Australian unemployment rate has dropped to the lowest figure ever recorded since the current labour force series commenced in 1978. Western Australia has set a record low for unemployment of 3.9 per cent for April 2006, down 0.2 per cent from March. The national unemployment rate has gone up to 5.1 per cent. This is the twenty-first consecutive month that Western Australia’s unemployment levels were at, or below, five per cent. Western Australia’s participation rate remains the highest of all the states at 67.7 per cent. More than 140 000 jobs have been created since the Labor government came to office in 2001. That is something that we should be very proud of. In the past 12 months Western Australia created an additional 32 300 jobs. This was a 3.1 per cent increase in total employment, the strongest rate in the country. Nationally, employment growth was only 1.2 percent, so we are nearly three times the national average in growth. Western Australia has set the record lowest unemployment figures for April. That is very good news. I want to finish on one thing. The reason the national economy is going so well is because of what is happening in Western Australia. We are doing it. We are doing it for the rest of Australia. We are providing the opportunity for the federal government to put in place the tax initiatives and all the other things it has put in place. The Western Australian people and their good work and great effort are carrying the nation forward; and they need to be congratulated.
I want to finish on one thing. The reason the national economy is going so well is because of what is happening in Western Australia. We are doing it. We are doing it for the rest of Australia. We are providing the opportunity for the federal government to put in place the tax initiatives and all the other things it has put in place. The Western Australian people and their good work and great effort are carrying the nation forward; and they need to be congratulated.

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