More Australians in work as festive season approaches

More Australians are working, and they are earning more under the Albanese Government, with more than a million new jobs created, a record for a parliamentary term, and nearly 400,000 of them in this year to November alone.
 
Even though growth in the economy has been weak, weighed down by global uncertainty, interest rates and cost-of-living pressures, the labour market has remained resilient, and today’s numbers were more evidence of that.
 
This result is a tribute to our workers and employers, and justifies the balance we are making in the economy of bringing inflation down, where we have made substantial progress, while not ignoring risks to growth and creating more jobs for Australians.
 
Real incomes were going backwards at the time of election, but are now growing again due to a combination of wage and employment growth, moderating inflation and our tax cuts for every taxpayer.
 
According to the latest Labour Force Survey data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the past 11 months have seen 335,800 new full time positions (85 percent of all jobs created this year), 179,800 new positions for women, and 100,500 new jobs for young Australians.
 
Under the Albanese Government, since May 2022, 1,053,500 new jobs have been created.  Of these, 682,000 (64.7 percent) are full-time positions. Full-time employment surged by 52,600 in November, to stand at a record high of 10,068,100.

Today’s results highlight that strong jobs growth continued in November with employment increasing by 35,600 over the month, to stand at a record high of 14,535,500.
 
Full-time employment for women increased by 25,700 over the month, to stand at a new record high of 3,966,900 in November.
 
Against the backdrop of strong employment growth, the unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage points, to 3.9 per cent in November, reflecting the ongoing resilience of the Australian labour market.
 
Under the Albanese Government, we have:

• Backed increases to minimum and award wages meaning that 2.6 million workers are better off;
• Got wages moving again after a decade of deliberate inaction, with the average Australian worker now earning an extra $150 a week compared to 2 years ago;
• Overseen real wages growth for four consecutive quarters, a complete turnaround from when we came to Government when annual real wages were falling;
• Helped in the fight against inflation – it’s now less than half the rate it was when we first came to office;
• Reduced the gender pay gap to its lowest level in history;
• Put gender equality at the heart of the Fair Work Act, with a review to address historical undervaluation of feminised industries currently underway. Funded pay rises for aged care workers and early childhood education and care workers;
• Stopped companies underpaying workers through the use of labour hire;
• Criminalised intentional wage theft;
• Introduced changes to better support first responders with PTSD;
• Overseen the highest number of workers covered by Enterprise Agreements since 2020, following changes to reinvigorate bargaining;
• Seen an extra 175,800 Australians join trade unions in the past two years alone.

But while the Albanese Labor Government continues to create more jobs and lift pay, Peter Dutton and the Coalition have promised to scrap workers’ rights, pay and conditions.
 
From Opposition, Peter Dutton and his Shadow Ministers have:

• Opposed every single workplace reform when we put them through the Australian Parliament;
• Opposed every cost of living measures we provided for workers;
• Claimed real wage increases “would be the worst thing for Australians”;
• Promised to “take a targeted set of repeals” of workplace laws to the next election. In fact, in September, Senator Jane Hume promised the Coalition said it would look at “all of the industrial relations laws” to make sure they are “fairer for employers” if they won office;
• Committed to review Same Job, Same Pay laws. In September last year Shadow Minister for Workplace Relations Michaelia Cash said the measures “amount to an attack on the labour hire industry”;
• Indicated they’ll get rid of multi-employer bargaining;
• Said they’ll axe rid the Right to Disconnect so unpaid overtime is back again;
• Flagged plans to get rid of the changes we've made for casual workers, the majority of whom are women;
• Said they will consider changing workplace laws to allow more employers to unfairly dismiss their workers.

Quotes attributable to Treasurer Jim Chalmers:
“Today’s new jobs numbers show unemployment is falling while wages are rising, inflation is moderating, and our policies are helping achieve a soft landing in our economy.
 
“We've seen over a million jobs created since we came to office, a record for a parliamentary term and stronger jobs growth than any major advanced economy.
 
“We understand that people are still under pressure which is why the primary focus of the Albanese Government is fighting inflation and rolling out cost-of-living relief without ignoring risks to growth. More jobs and better pay are key parts of our plan to help ease cost-of-living pressures.”
 
Quotes attributable to Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Murray Watt: 
“We welcome today’s data that shows an extra 393,900 Australians have found work in 2024 so far under our Government.
 
“This is another great result that is helping more Australians deal with cost-of-living pressures, while helping businesses to grow, and provide more services in communities across the country.
 
“But while we’re focussed on ensuring workers have safe, stable, properly paid jobs, Peter Dutton and the Coalition have promised to take a sledgehammer to wages and conditions.
 
"At a time when many Australians are doing it tough, Peter Dutton will make things worse.”