Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

That's a very good supplementary question because, as I alluded to in my previous answer, the government is making a strong investment through the More Choices for a Longer Life Package, which we announced in the 2018-19 budget, to help people prepare for a long life which is independent, healthy and connected, and which enables them to work for longer as they wish.

Under the More Choices for a Longer Life Package we are investing $189.7 million in a range of jobs and skills measures to help mature-age Australians to find the right job, to stay in the workplace, to have flexibility in their later worker years and, importantly, to retire with security. This action and the job growth flowing from this government's stewardship of the economy has extended to the employment of mature workers. There was an increase of 73,000 mature-age workers in the workforce over the past 12 months. The participation rate also increased over the past 12 months to sit at almost 70 per cent, which was above the overall participation rate recorded for all persons, at 65.7 per cent. It's part of more than a million jobs created by this government.