Job Vacancies

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:08): My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, what information can you share with the house about job vacancy rates in South Australia at the moment?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Conversations across the chamber are completely unhelpful.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Conversations across the chamber are not helping and they are wasting the time of the opposition. The Treasurer has the call.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, minister!

The Hon. R.P. Wortley interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Wortley is out of order, as well as the Minister for Human Services. The Treasurer has the call.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:09): I am sure all members will be delighted to hear the recent figures in relation to labour market job vacancies, as all members, I am sure, are concerned about the creation of new jobs, the availability of jobs within South Australia, given the figures in relation to employment and unemployment in the recent labour force figures.

The ABS produces a comprehensive and over a long-term basis series in relation to job vacancies by state, and the most recent figures in relation to a state-by-state comparison are for the three-month period through to February 2021. That shows a massive increase in job vacancies within South Australia, a 65.6 per cent increase through the year; that is, the 12-month period from last year to the three months to February 2021, a 65.6 per cent increase in job vacancies in South Australia. The Australian figure was 26.8 per cent, a significantly higher job vacancy rate in relation to job vacancies in South Australia.

More importantly, that is broken down by the Bureau of Statistics into private and public sector vacancies. That shows, if you look at private sector job vacancies, which are clearly the big job drivers in any economy, that they were 73 per cent higher than a year earlier—the comparative national figure was 28 per cent. When you also look at the Internet Vacancy Index published by the commonwealth Department of Education, Skills and Employment, it again shows, in seasonally adjusted terms (these are May to May figures), that it is 151 per cent higher than a year ago. It shows that there is a significant challenge in terms of matching those who might be unemployed with the significant number of jobs that are available in South Australia.

We often hear the cry that we need more baristas and hospitality workers in our regional areas, because they are going gangbusters at the moment because people can only holiday domestically, rather than travel overseas. There is a demand for skilled tradespeople in the construction and housing sector, because that sector is going gangbusters as well because of HomeBuilder and other state government initiatives in terms of construction.

At the same time, we have a number of people currently unemployed. The challenge for government—and I am pleased that the Minister for Innovation and Skills has been able to report (and I think the numbers were reported yesterday) that the number of traineeship and apprenticeship commencements in South Australia in the last year is about double the rate under the former Labor government.

That is significant new money going into JobTrainer arrangements with the commonwealth government, but there is an ongoing challenge in terms of matching those who are unemployed with the significant number of job vacancies we have in South Australia. That is why this government's commitment to skills upgrades is significantly more impressive than the former Labor government's tardiness, slackness, in relation to apprenticeship and traineeship commencements. It should be shame on the former Labor government—

The Hon. J.E. Hanson interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hanson will cease.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: It is an ongoing challenge for this government and one we will not shy away from. We are currently involved in negotiations with the commonwealth government about a former renegotiation of the skills agreement before the end of this year—I will be here—and it is an important negotiation between the federal government and the state governments—

The Hon. D.G.E. Hood interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hood should not engage in conversation across the chamber.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —in terms of trying to upgrade the skills base and the funding available from—

The Hon. J.E. Hanson interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —both the federal and state governments to meet the particular challenge I have just outlined to the house.