Women and youth drive NSW jobs market
New South Wales has maintained the lowest unemployment rate among the states for the sixth consecutive month, according to today’s ABS labour force data.
The figures show employment in NSW grew by 15,900 in February after losing 7,000 jobs in January, while the participation rate grew to 66.3 per cent.
The NSW unemployment rate is 3.2 per cent, the lowest of all the states.
Treasurer Matt Kean said the figures showed employment in NSW is now at 242,300 above pre-Covid levels.
“The figures also show a record number of women employed in the state and a record low youth unemployment rate,” Mr Kean said.
“This is what good economic management delivers. Only a Liberal and Nationals Government has a long term economic plan to keep NSW moving forward.”
Since federal Labor came to power there have been nine consecutive rate rises and inflation has risen to 7.4 per cent.
Consumer sentiment has fallen 19.2 per cent in NSW over the last year, and fallen 22.1 per cent in Australia. Meanwhile, retail sales have fallen 2.0 per cent since November, down 2.2 per cent nationally.
Mr Kean said NSW cannot risk a Labor Minns Government which would stall the economy and send the state backwards.
“Labor has already announced they will cancel major infrastructure projects like the two western Sydney metro lines and that means jobs will be lost,” Mr Kean said.
“Now is not the time to risk a Minns-Mookhey Labor government that has no experience and no plan for job creation; the only plan it has is to axe projects and axe jobs.”
