Unemployment Figures - Good News For Women

Wayne Berry - Opposition Spokesperson on Industrial Relations

Media Statement - 9 September 1999

The Australian Bureau of Statistics August Labour Force figures hold good news for women in the ACT, Labor Industrial Relations spokesperson Wayne Berry said today.

"With 600 new jobs in the ACT, 500 going to women there is much to celebrate," Mr Berry said.

"The next challenge is to get the 6100 unemployed men back into jobs. This is a problem area which has shown a rise of 300 in the last four months. Another problem area is youth unemployment where the ACT has traditionally performed badly - this month we see a jump of 400 young people seeking full time work.

"And we are still faced with the fact that 1700 of the 3800 new jobs this year have been part time jobs - a problem when people are seeking full time work.

"Clearly there is much to be done to improve our unemployment problem.

"We are seeing the impact of changing employment conditions on the workforce. With contracting out and casualisation of the workforce many who do work do not have full time or permanent jobs.

"This translates into job insecurity. 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," Mr Berry concluded.