SA unemployment remains the highest despite fall

9 December 2010

South Australian unemployment decreased in November according to the State’s leading business membership organisation, Business SA.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics Labour Force figures show the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for South Australia in November 2010 decreased 0.1 percentage point from the previous month’s figure to 5.6 per cent.

Statistics show the national unemployment rate for November decreased 0.2 percentage points to 5.2 per cent.
Nationwide the participation rate increased 0.2 percentage points to 66.1 per cent, while South Australia’s participation rate decreased 0.3 percentage points to 63.5 per cent.

Business SA Chief Executive Officer, Peter Vaughan, said the data reflected the pressure being felt by the business community.

“While it is pleasing that South Australia’s unemployment decreased in November, we still have the highest unemployment in the country,” Mr Vaughan said.

“We are well into the Christmas trading period, a time when there should be a greater demand for people in the workforce.

“However consumers need the confidence to spend and businesses need the confidence to employ more staff.

“The Reserve Bank increased the pressure on local businesses with the premature rate rise in November and the effect of this will be seen for the remainder of the year.

“Low confidence throughout the economy will limit employment opportunities, as will the very restrictive shop trading hours that we will see over the Christmas period.”