Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his question because it is an important one, again, about jobs. We on this side of the chamber understand the importance of having a job and being able to create jobs in new areas but also support good wage outcomes, something that again those opposite ignored during their entire time in government.

It is important to recognise that we've been able to manage in this high-inflation time that we've had over the last three years an unemployment rate at 4.1 per cent—that is what it was in December—and a labour force participation rate rising to 66.7 per cent. In December, 65,000 more people were in work, which takes the number of Australians employed to a record high of 14,684,000. This shows that we've got a labour market that continues to grow, creating opportunities for all Australians, with full-time jobs accounting for the vast majority of the increase in employment over that month. (Time expired)