Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McDonald for this question. The Morrison government's plan to drive down unemployment in Australia is working. More Australians are in a job now than before the COVID-19 pandemic and the COVID induced recession that it brought about. Importantly, the Morrison government's economic plan is delivering for Australian women specifically. Workforce figures published recently for May highlight that there are more women in the workforce now than ever before. There are even more women in the workforce now than the record female participation rates that were achieved in April this year. Overall unemployment has dropped to 5.1 per cent from April to May. The number of employed women has increased by 69,000 in May—that's 1.6 per cent above the start of pandemic levels. The good news doesn't stop there. The hours worked are also up: now 4.1 per cent higher for women than prior to the pandemic. In addition, more women who want additional hours are able to get them, with female underemployment now 1.9 per cent lower than prior to the pandemic. This is the lowest rate in over a decade.

These are not just numbers; these are Australian women who are getting ahead. These are Australian women who are improving their lives, who are getting more hours of work than ever before. Each one of these success stories is a story of independence. It's a story of women taking control and managing their own economic security, their own economic wellbeing and their own future prosperity, as well as securing our economic recovery and strengthening Australia. There are few things in this world more important to women's economic security than a good job, and the Morrison government is delivering on exactly that for Australian women.