Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister guarantee workers over 35 looking for a job that they won't be turned away in favour of a young worker with a hiring credit?

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The many measures in this budget are designed to create jobs right across the economy for people of all ages. And the tax cuts that have been legislated for 11½ million Australians; the two $250 payments that are coming to pensioners and carers and others on income support; the expansion of the instant asset write-off to businesses with a turnover of up to $5 billion; the loss carry-back measure; and the measure that is designed to support new skilling and training through the JobTrainer program, which is open to people of all ages, are designed to create economic activity.

But the question was going to the heart of what passed the parliament last night, which was the JobMaker hiring credit. As I have told the House before, we have focused on getting younger people into work because they have been heavily hit. And today the unemployment rate for those aged 15 to 34 is 10.2 per cent. But, for those who are aged 35 to 44, the unemployment rate is 4.7 per cent. In terms of people aged 15 to 34, from March to September, there has been a 6.1 per cent decrease in the number of jobs, or 307,000 people. In contrast, over the same time, the decline in jobs for those aged 35 and over has been 1.4 per cent, or 109,000 people. So the reality is that people of all ages have lost jobs, and businesses have closed, some not to reopen. But we, the Morrison government, are doing everything we can to help get people into a job, regardless of their age.