UNDEREMPLOYMENT, YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RISE UNDER LIBERALS

TONY BURKE MP.
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4 years ago
UNDEREMPLOYMENT, YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RISE UNDER LIBERALS
TONY BURKE MP
Under Scott Morrison and the Liberals, the Australian labour market has developed serious structural issues of increasing insecure work, soaring underemployment and growing levels of youth unemployment along with stagnant wages growth.
 
Today’s labour force figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that underemployment and youth unemployment have risen.
 
With an unemployment rate of 5.2 per cent, there are 704,700 Australians unemployed, and more than 1 million are underemployed.
 
Of particular concern is the youth unemployment rate, which under the Liberals remains more than double the national average, having increased to 11.9 per cent. More than 264,000 young Australians are unemployed.
 
The rising underemployment rate under the Liberal Government remains a serious concern and highlights the structural issues the labour market is facing, having jumped to 8.6 per cent.  Coupled with increasing insecure work, this is leaving too many Australians struggling to keep up with the cost of living. There are more than 1.8 million Australians looking for work, or more work, but unable to find it.  
 
As Treasurer and now Prime Minister, Scott Morrison has presided over the lowest wages growth since records began. The Liberals are so out of touch that keeping wages low is a “deliberate design feature” of their economic plan. They support cuts to penalty rates and voted against restoring penalty rates eight times. 
 
The Liberals have absolutely no plan for secure jobs with decent wages.  
 
Employment