House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Employment Figures EMPLOYMENT FIGURES Mr PISONI House of Assembly Unley EMPLOYMENT FIGURES Mr PISONI (Unley) (14:42): Will the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills explain why, after Labor promised to create 100,000 new jobs at the 2010 election, there are now fewer South Australians working full time than when this promise was made two years ago? The Hon. T.R. KENYON House of Assembly Newland Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills Minister for Science and Information Economy Minister for Recreation and Sport EMPLOYMENT FIGURES The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (14:43): It is no secret that the economy has not been at full speed. It is somewhat struggling— An honourable member interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. T.R. KENYON House of Assembly The Hon. T.R. KENYON: —so it is no surprise that employers are making some adjustments to the way they employ people. I have to say that it is to their great credit that it appears that they are doing that by reducing hours, not employees. That explains why we are able to maintain an unemployment rate of 5.2 per cent. It is the 90^th month in a row that the unemployment rate has been below 6 per cent. When the former government left office in 2002, the unemployment rate was 7 per cent. Their worst rate was 11.2 per cent. At no point in the last— Mr Pisoni House of Assembly Mr Pisoni: You promised 100,000 new jobs—not a single full-time job. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order, member for Unley! The Hon. T.R. KENYON House of Assembly The Hon. T.R. KENYON: —90 months—that is 7½ years off the top of my head—has it been above 6 per cent. It is a very flexible economy that we are seeing at the moment. We are seeing employers do the right thing, and they are to be commended for it.