Encouraging employment growth for Queensland

Published Thursday, 08 May, 2014 at 01:48 PM

Treasurer and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Tim Nicholls

Today’s ABS labour force figures underline the importance of the Queensland Government’s efforts to grow the economy, reduce debt and invest in infrastructure for the future.

Treasurer Tim Nicholls said Queensland had created more jobs than any other state over the past year.

“The latest ABS figures again show encouraging employment growth in the Queensland economy, with the creation of a further 7,000 jobs in trend terms for the month of April and 4,400 in seasonally adjusted terms,” Mr Nicholls said.

“Today’s figures represent twelve months of consecutive trend employment growth in the state and the fastest monthly growth in trend employment in four years.

“They confirm Queensland’s position as the top state when it comes to job creation, with more than half of the jobs created nationally both in seasonally adjusted and trend terms over the past 12 months to April generated here.

“Queensland’s participation rate is also far higher than national average; consistent with an improving labour market, the trend participation rate has edged up over the past five months to 66.3 per cent in April 2014.

“Today’s encouraging result again shows the Queensland Government’s plan to grow a four-pillar economy, after years of neglect by Labor, is working.

“However we know there is still more to be done and that not all Queenslanders are yet experiencing the full benefits of stronger economic growth.

“We want to be able to invest in new infrastructure – the kind of infrastructure that will create thousands of jobs and fully unlock this state’s economic potential.

“The $80 billion dollar debt we’ve inherited and the $4 billion a year dead money interest bill it generates must be addressed, and we’re talking to all Queenslanders about the Strong Choices ahead to secure the economic future of the state.

“This measured, mature conversation and the feedback and community priorities it generates are helping form our Government’s plan of action for the unprecedented debt situation facing Queensland, a blueprint to lower the accumulated debt of the last ten years, in order to fund the roads, rail, schools and hospitals our growing state will need.”

[Ends] 08 May 2014

Media contact: Anna Hilton 0408 191 192