Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. How is the Albanese Labor government creating jobs and setting up a future made in Australia? How does this compare to previous approaches?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Watson for his question. Today's jobs figures do show a slight uptick in unemployment to 4.2 per cent, reflecting, of course, the fact that these are difficult times for many Australians, but they also show once again a new figure for the most jobs being created by any government in Australia's history since Federation: 989,000 as we approach the one million mark, which we hope to hit before the end of this year. That compares with the first two years of other governments. It is triple what was created under the Abbott government's first two years, at just over 300,000 jobs. It is almost double the number that was created under the Turnbull government during their first two years. And the Morrison government, of course, saw a decrease of 66,000 jobs during their first two years.

We are also seeing a record high participation rate of 67.1 per cent and, importantly, a new record-low gender pay gap of just 12.5 per cent. It was 14.1 when we were elected in May of 2022. We came to government with a commitment to help close the gender pay gap, and that's exactly what we are seeing. That isn't a coincidence. We changed the Fair Work Act to make gender equity an objective of the work of the Fair Work Commission. We have banned pay secrecy clauses. We have modernised the bargaining system. We are enforcing transparent gender pay gap reporting. And, of course, in feminised industries such as aged care and child care, we have supported pay rises for those workers—those workers who kept our economy going during the pandemic, who deserve not just our thanks on an ongoing basis but a decent wage and conditions.

I'm asked by the member for Robertson as well about a future made in Australia and future jobs. That's why we're planning for the future, not satisfied with dealing with the immediate challenges. The Future Made in Australia, working with Jobs and Skills Australia to identify training opportunities, is about identifying those industries and those opportunities that can be seized in the future for future job growth, dealing with the immediate challenges whilst also having our eye on a positive and better future.