E&OE...................
Good evening. At the beginning of the year I recommitted the Government
to tackling unemployment and we are making solid progress. Today I can report
that the jobless rate has fallen to 6.7 per cent, the lowest in almost 10
years. 568,000 new jobs have been created since March 1996.
Unemployment has fallen by about 125,000 and earlier this year we achieved
the lowest number of unemployed teenagers looking for full-time work than
at any time in the last 20 years. But I know that unemployment remains too
high in some rural and regional areas. We must do more and we are.
A secure job starts with a strong work ethic. That is why we extended Work
for the Dole earlier this year and achieved 90,000 more new apprenticeships
than under Labor.
The number of Job Network sites will increase by 700 to 2,100. Already the
Job Network is out performing the old CES by about 50 per cent. Now, the
number of sites outside of the cities will increase from 600 to over 1,100.
More than half of the 150 locations which will receive a permanent Job Network
site for the first time will be in rural and regional areas.
Lower company tax will help keep Australian jobs at home. Lower capital
gains tax will boost jobs particularly in small business. And exporters
will be $3.5 billion better off under the new tax system.
This year we won the battle to retain youth wages saving up to 230,000 jobs
according to retailers and we'll continue to fight just as hard to exempt
the new employees of small business from unfair dismissal laws.
[ends]