Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McLachlan for the question. This government, the Morrison government, is a job-creating government. When you look at the labour force figures in December, they were positive news for all Australians. They show that new businesses and new jobs are being created right across the country. This government's economic plan has always been based on getting Australians into work—creating jobs and getting Australians off welfare and into work. That is exactly what's happening as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. When you look at the evidence in relation to the employment figures, the unemployment rate has decreased to 4.2 per cent. That is now lower than when we came into office in 2013. The participation rate—that's Australians putting their hands up and saying, 'I'm ready, willing and able to work'—continues to be strong, remaining steady at 66.1 per cent.

More than 60,000 jobs were created in the month of December. That is because of those fantastic employers across Australia. What that means is that employment is now at a record high in Australia, with 13,242,000 Australians in work. There are, in fact, now 246,600 more Australians in work than there were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. When you look to the employment-to-population ratio, that itself has increased to 63.3 per cent. People often ask about underemployment. That has now decreased—that is a good thing—to 6.6 per cent. So, when we talk about putting in place the right policies so that businesses out there can prosper, grow and create more jobs for Australians, the statistics speak for themselves. (Time expired)