The Minister for Employment Protection provides the latest unemployment figures for Western Australia, highlighting the state's low unemployment rate compared to the national average and job creation despite skilled migration.

AnsweredQoN 119Legislative Assembly
Asked
6 April 2006
Portfolio
Employment Protection

QuestionView source ↗

UNEMPLOYMENT STATISTICS
Will the minister tell the house of the latest unemployment figures for Western Australia? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for the question. I am pleased that Western Australia’s unemployment rates continue to be the nation’s lowest. The latest figure, which was released today, shows that the unemployment figures for March decreased again, by only 0.1 per cent, down to 4.1 per cent, which is very good compared with the national average of five per cent. This is despite the fact that we have sucked in an unprecedented number of eastern states workers and skilled migrants. When I was the Minister for Regional Development, a constant complaint to me from the regional development officers was that they were using more of their resources trying to attract skilled migrants to regional areas of Western Australia, rather than doing their normal work in regional development. The nine development commissions have at least one full-time employee each, and some of them two full-time employees, trying to attract skilled migrants to Western Australia. Despite the eastern states’ workers and skilled migrants coming into our system, WA’s unemployment figure is decreasing. In March an extra 8 000 jobs were created. As the Treasurer has said, we have not only a V8 economy, but a V8 economy with a rocket booster on the back.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I thank the member for the question. I am pleased that Western Australia’s unemployment rates continue to be the nation’s lowest. The latest figure, which was released today, shows that the unemployment figures for March decreased again, by only 0.1 per cent, down to 4.1 per cent, which is very good compared with the national average of five per cent. This is despite the fact that we have sucked in an unprecedented number of eastern states workers and skilled migrants. When I was the Minister for Regional Development, a constant complaint to me from the regional development officers was that they were using more of their resources trying to attract skilled migrants to regional areas of Western Australia, rather than doing their normal work in regional development. The nine development commissions have at least one full-time employee each, and some of them two full-time employees, trying to attract skilled migrants to Western Australia. Despite the eastern states’ workers and skilled migrants coming into our system, WA’s unemployment figure is decreasing. In March an extra 8 000 jobs were created. As the Treasurer has said, we have not only a V8 economy, but a V8 economy with a rocket booster on the back.
I thank the member for the question. I am pleased that Western Australia’s unemployment rates continue to be the nation’s lowest. The latest figure, which was released today, shows that the unemployment figures for March decreased again, by only 0.1 per cent, down to 4.1 per cent, which is very good compared with the national average of five per cent. This is despite the fact that we have sucked in an unprecedented number of eastern states workers and skilled migrants. When I was the Minister for Regional Development, a constant complaint to me from the regional development officers was that they were using more of their resources trying to attract skilled migrants to regional areas of Western Australia, rather than doing their normal work in regional development. The nine development commissions have at least one full-time employee each, and some of them two full-time employees, trying to attract skilled migrants to Western Australia. Despite the eastern states’ workers and skilled migrants coming into our system, WA’s unemployment figure is decreasing. In March an extra 8 000 jobs were created. As the Treasurer has said, we have not only a V8 economy, but a V8 economy with a rocket booster on the back.

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