Holden and job figures

[jim and adel]

Putting to one side the pros and cons of whether the government should throw yet more money at Holden in an attempt to keep it going a little bit longer, it's alarming that up to 13,000 SA jobs could be lost in a knock-on effect if (far more likely, when) it finally closes its doors.

 

13,000 jobs is a big number for a state like SA to lose. After all, one job lost can be devastating for the person on the receiving end. What's even more alarming, though, is that last month alone 6,000 jobs were lost here, with the unemployment rate rising more rapidly than anywhere else in the country. In the last five months, 28,000 full-time jobs have been lost in this state.

 

So, pretty much every news bulletin has run with the will-they-or-won't-they-close story for weeks, and yet in less than half a year we've lost more than double what the worst case Holden scenario might bring and with hardly a mention?

 

Jim

[Anne B]

I didn't realise it was quite that bad, 28,000 full-time jobs in five months. I get my info from here

 

http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2013/11/australian-unemployment-in-detail-2/

 

SA with 6.6% unemployment (and Tasmania) are certainly the poor relations. So many employers here are only hiring part-time or casual workers, it's quite awful, whereas other sectors particularly in the public sector like teaching (and I'm not having a go at teachers) still seem to be living in the past, with generous long service leave, sickness etc. The full-time workers where my husband works (not public sector) are regularly off "sick", usually on a Friday (so they can go off fishing early), and it is tolerated, employers seem unable or unwilling to get rid of them. It makes me angry as there are so many people out there, un- or under- employed who would really appreciate their jobs.

 

You are right that this silent unemployment gets little mention, yet Spring Gully, which managed to get itself millions into debt, is given half a million dollars of government money as a bailout.

 

Still things could be worse, we could be living in Geelong, where Qantas is closing down its maintenance facility at Avalon, Ford is pulling out in 2016, Shell is aiming to sell its Corio oil refinery, Alcoa’s Port Henry aluminium smelter is in trouble and Incitec Pivot’s Lara operations are for sale.

[jim and adel]

I didn't realise it was quite that bad, 28,000 full-time jobs in five months. I get my info from here

 

http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2013/11/australian-unemployment-in-detail-2/

They get their figures from ABS, which are the same ones The Australian was referring to: "Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released yesterday showed the unemployment rate in South Australia rose to 6.6 per cent last month, almost a percentage point above the national rate of 5.7 per cent, and the highest of all mainland states. The figures represent the loss of 5500 jobs in the past month, and 28,000 fewer full-time jobs in the state than six months ago.

"Mr Weatherill said the unemployment rate was 'challenging'..."

 

Ever the master of understatement is our premier (unless it's good news in which case he organises street parties).

 

Incidentally, it doesn't mean the jobs have totally gone - many have become part-time in line with the national trend that saw 27,000 full-time jobs lost last month and an increase of 28,900 part-time ones!