Andrew McLachlan (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator Cash. Can the minister update the Senate on how the Liberal and Nationals government's economic plan is delivering new jobs across Australia?

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

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McLachlan, a supplementary question?

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

nator McLACHLAN () (): Can the minister advise how the government is helping young Australians find a job?

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

The government has been acutely focused on ensuring that the scarring impacts recessions have on young Australians were not felt in the COVID-19 induced recession. We've invested heavily, as we know, and quite proudly in the skills and training system. That has, of course, helped businesses retain staff, because quite often it's the young person, the apprentice, that is the first person to be let go. We've ensured that, by our investment in the skills and training system, employers have been able to keep those young people and those apprentices on, and this further supports that pipeline of workers in Australia.

We have invested by way of the boosting apprenticeship commencements wage subsidy, the supporting apprenticeship and training wage subsidy. Again, this has now ensured that more Australians have trade apprenticeships than ever before in recorded history. That is a good thing, but it is because of the investments made by the coalition government. (Time expired)

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McLachlan, a second supplementary question?

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How is the government's plan helping Australians who want to work and secure employment?

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

Again, when you look at the evidence, based on the policies that the coalition government have put in place, when we look at where we were at the outset of COVID-19 and where we are today—if you recall, at the outset of COVID-19, Treasury was modelling that at the height of COVID-19 unemployment could potentially go as high as 15 per cent. What they were saying was two million Australians could have been out of work. Then you look at the policy response from the coalition government. Look at where we are now. In December 2021, the unemployment rate dropped to 4.2 per cent. We're at near record high participation. That is a good thing. Over $300 billion in health and economic support, provided through our economic plan, has helped us to reach this point. It is because of the policies put in place by the coalition government that Australians are in work. (Time expired)