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Category: Unemployment / Economic Trends / State Parliament / Activism and Lobbying

Fall in Qld jobless rate a result of 'exodus' from labour market: CCIQ

Friday, 21 Oct 2016 04:43:25 | Chris O'Brien

Nick Behrens said the "discouraged worker effect" was behind the jobless fall. (ABC News)

The fall in Queensland's unemployment rate may not be as straightforward as it seems, with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ) pointing to "an exodus" from the labour market.

The seasonally adjusted jobless rate fell from 6.2 per cent to 6 per cent in September, while the trend rate fell from 6.2 to 6.1 per cent.

CCIQ spokesman Nick Behrens said the improvement was seemingly consistent with the green shoot signs of an economic recovery now emerging, particularly in south-east Queensland.

"However, the story that is hidden this month is that the falling unemployment rate is largely as a result of an exodus of persons from the Queensland labour market," Mr Behrens said.

He said this was often described as the "discouraged worker effect", where individuals gave up looking for active work to return to either educational studies or home duties.

"Queensland's participation rate continued to decline in the month of September and is over one per cent lower than at this time last year," he said.

"If the state's participation rate had held steady over the past year … we would be looking at an unemployment rate well north of 7 per cent."

Shadow treasurer Scott Emerson also seized on the loss of 22,900 full time jobs in September.

"There's no doubt we are seeing two worrying trends here in Queensland — a trend away from full-time employment and a trend of people giving up looking for a job because things are getting harder," Mr Emerson said.

Treasurer Curtis Pitt said overall, 40,000 jobs had been created since the election of the Palaszczuk Government.

"The latest figures are more good news for the Queensland economy and further hard data showing our economic plan is working," Mr Pitt said.

"But we know there is more work to do because not all sectors and regions are transitioning to a post-mining boom economy as well as others."

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