JOINT MEDIA RELEASE – Jobs Data Can’t Mask Pain of Albanese’s Cost of Living Crisis

The Hon Angus Taylor MP

Shadow Treasurer

Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash

Shadow Attorney-General

Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations

Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

13 June 2024

JOBS DATA CAN’T MASK PAIN OF ALBANESE’S COST OF LIVING CRISIS

Employment data released today shows Australians are working harder to make ends meet as the Albanese Government’s cost-of-living crisis continues to grip the nation.

The trend statistics show that the monthly hours worked by Australians increased by 17 million hours over the past 12 months.

This comes on the back of quarterly Labour Accounts figures released last week which show more Australians are working more than one job. Those figures show there are 974,000 multiple-job holders, up 2.9% over the past year.

The May 2024 labour force figures show the unemployment rate decreased to 4%.

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor said Australians continue to pay a very high price for a Labor government that can’t manage the economy.

“Australians are facing a deadly combination of high inflation and household recession.

“We are in an entrenched GDP per capita, consumer confidence and productivity recession after two years of Labor’s failed economic management.

“The Treasurer can spin today’s labour force data however he wants. But everyday Australians will see right through it.

“They’re forced to work more and work harder to make ends meet. But Australians don’t need data to know this – they are living it every single day.”

Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator Michaelia Cash said that the drop in unemployment cannot mask the pain Australians are feeling under the Albanese Government’s cost of living crisis.

“The cost of living pain is not just in the hip pocket when Australians go to buy every day essentials at the supermarket or have to pay their power bills,” she said.

“It is now clear that pain extends to having to work harder to make ends meet. And the pain extends to small business owners who are fighting a cost of doing business crisis,’’ Senator Cash said.

ENDS