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Rann should face reality |
Thursday, 12 June 2008
Unemployment figures have worsened for South Australia for the second consecutive month - we now have the highest unemployment rate of all States.
South Australia’s jobs outlook is different to the rosy picture painted by Premier Mike Rann according to Shadow Employment Minister Steven Griffiths.
“The stats say it all,” Mr Griffiths said.
The ABS Labour Force data for May 2008 shows;
In May, SA again had the highest seasonally adjusted and trend unemployment rates of all states, including Tasmania. Our seasonally adjusted rate jumped from 4.6% just 2 months ago to 5.0% in May (national rate was 4.3%). SA’s trend rate was 4.8% in May compared to the national rate of 4.2%.
The (seasonally adjusted) number of people listing as unemployed increased by 1,200 in May to 41,100.
SA again had the highest youth unemployment rate of all states in May (24.7% to the national rate of 17.4%)
“The Premier’s obsession with future mining prospects has come at the expense of other industries,” Mr Griffiths said.
“We need to address problems in manufacturing, primary industry and value-added food export businesses.
“These are the areas where we have lost ground.
“The current Government had banked on a mining boom arriving by 2008, but it is still some years away. Let’s focus on the here and now.”
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