Seasonally adjusted unemployment figures released today show that the jobless rate is the lowest in nearly 10 years, although the participation rate has also declined.
Unemployment in Australia was 6.7%, the lowest figure since June 1990. New South Wales recorded the lowest State figure of 5.6%, whilst Tasmania continued to record the highest with 9.9%.
The Australian labour force now consists of 9,514,000 people according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The participation rate has fallen to 63.1%, but Prime Minister John Howard claims that this is the result of low interest rates, whereby the pressure on families requiring a second income is lessened.
| Nov. 1999 Unemployment | |
|---|---|
| State | Percentage |
|
Vic
|
6.9
|
|
NSW
|
5.6
|
|
Qld
|
7.8
|
|
SA
|
8.0
|
|
WA
|
6.8
|
|
TAS
|
9.9
|
|
Aust
|
6.7
|
About Malcolm Farnsworth