New Jobs Are Part-Time Jobs

Wayne Berry - Opposition Spokesperson on Industrial Relations

Media Statement - 8 July 1999

The Australian Bureau of Statistics June Labour Force figures have confirmed the trend towards part-time and casual employment in the ACT, Labor Industrial Relations spokesperson Wayne Berry said today.

Mr Berry was commenting on today's trend figures, which show a rise of 300 in the total number of people employed in the ACT this month. This trend has continued since February. However, at the same time, full time jobs have been falling, 700 since February - 300 in the last month alone.

"This is a disturbing trend with many households in the ACT having to adjust to a new way of managing with this shift to casual and part-time work and it has negative effects on the way they manage their finances. Without job security families do not have the confidence to make long term financial commitments and this will affect all sectors of the Canberra economy from banks and the housing market to retail spending and the hospitality industry.

"At the same time the increase in jobs in the ACT is barely keeping pace with the population increase. This means that our number of unemployed has been stuck at 10,000 since December.

"We need to urgently address these changes, it is not enough to look only at the rising total employment. We need to go behind the statistics to see the impact on the many people who are affected. We need to develop practical realistic programs to create full-time jobs not pie in the sky media statements," Mr Berry concluded.