Mark Speakman
NSW Leader of the Opposition
Mark Coure
Shadow Minister for Jobs, Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology
The Minns Labor Government has presided over the worst spike in unemployment New South Wales has seen since the pandemic with over 205,000 people now out of work and some communities in crisis.
New figures confirm more than 45,000 jobs have vanished in just two months. The state’s jobless rate has surged to 4.4%, smashing through Labor’s own budget forecasts and taking NSW back to levels not seen since the economic fallout of the COVID lockdowns.
This isn’t just a number on a chart, this is families skipping meals, young people shelving dreams, and workers with decades of experience suddenly without a wage.
Labor’s promise to support Western Sydney has proven hollow. Communities like Parramatta (5.7%), Blacktown (5.4%) and in the South West (5.4%) now face the highest unemployment rates in the state with more than double those in the Eastern Suburbs and Northern Beaches.
Despite this, the Minns Labor Government has no credible plan. Private sector confidence is so low that job creation is stalling altogether.
Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said a government that gets its numbers this wrong can’t be trusted to manage the future.
“This isn’t a spreadsheet issue, it’s real people, real families, and real businesses hurting. Chris Minns needs to stop blaming everyone else and start showing some leadership,” Mr Speakman said.
Shadow Minister for Jobs, Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology, Mark Coure said when you lose your job, you lose more than a pay, you lose your routine, your confidence, and your peace of mind.
“Labor said they’d deliver for working people, but 200,000 families are now wondering how they’re going to pay the rent or put food on the table. Chris Minns has no plan, no answers, and no idea how to turn this around,” Mr Coure said.
In its own budget delivered just last month, the Minns Labor Government predicted unemployment would sit at 4% by June 2025, the actual figure has already blown past that to 4.4%, with every sign things will get worse.