Female Unemployment

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:13): My question is to the Premier. What is the Premier doing to address the disproportionate rate of female unemployment since COVID?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:13): Thank you very much, sir. As members would know, I am very well advised by the Premier's women's council, chaired by Miriam Silva. They provide me with a range of advice, and some of that advice goes directly to how we improve employment opportunities for women in South Australia.

When I look at the most recent statistics that I have here for the December quarter, since the peak in June of the pandemic the female unemployment rate has declined from 9.2 per cent down to 6.8 per cent. Since the peak in April of 2020 during the pandemic, female unemployment has declined by a staggering 38,600, and I think that's because we are listening to that expert advice that has been coming in and we are taking action. I think the statistics speak for themselves.