South Australia’s trend unemployment rate came down for the sixth month in a row to be 5.8 per cent in February, while the more volatile seasonally adjusted rate increased slightly to 5.8 per cent, according the latest ABS job stats.
Employment rose by 2,800 (seasonally adjusted) but this was offset by a rise in the participation rate.
“These numbers reflect challenging economic times in the wake of the ongoing impact of bushfires in SA, and the impacts to come from the current challenges posed by the coronavirus,” Minister for Innovation and Skills David Pisoni said.
“The Marshall Government has a strong plan to support South Australians through this challenging time and we will continue to do everything in our power to sustain jobs.
“Today we have announced our Skills for Business package which will provide a funding boost for South Australian small businesses to hire new apprentices and trainees as part of a $12 million package to boost local jobs.”
The Skills for Business scheme offers small businesses up to $5000 for every new apprentice or trainee hired in SA on a paid training contract, as well as advice on how to address a business’ skills and training needs and access subsidies.
“This new support package will work in tandem with other key Government initiatives – such as the abolition of payroll tax for all small businesses – to lower costs, secure jobs and help drive the economy.”
It also follows the announcement of an immediate $350 million economic stimulus package in the wake of the ongoing impact of bushfires and the coronavirus.
“The State Government has also today announced an exemption to allow 24-hour weekday trading to help alleviate pressures due to the coronavirus,” Minister Pisoni said.
“This will also support local jobs, with the potential for more shifts for those employees who’d like to work additional hours over the next few weeks.”
The State Government continues its strong focus on skills training, with the latest national training stats showing SA recording strong growth in apprentices and trainees for the September quarter 2019, including 20.6 per cent increase in paid training commencements compared to the same period last year.
“The Marshall Government’s Skilling South Australia program is delivering jobs and career opportunities for South Australians – by meeting the skills needs of SA employers.
“Clearly, we are facing national economic headwinds and the impacts of bushfires and the coronavirus will be felt across our state and Australia for some time to come, but we’re all in this together.
“The Marshall Liberal Government is resolute in its support for SA businesses and the wider community to get through the challenges ahead.”
