WA's unemployment rate at record low

13/5/04
Premier Geoff Gallop has welcomed today's unemployment figures for Western Australia.
The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show the jobless rate for WA fell to five per cent in April. This is the lowest registered since the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Labour Force Surveys began in 1978.
Prior to this system, Dr Gallop said the last time the recorded unemployment rate was five per cent was in 1977 - Jimmy Carter was President of the USA, The Love Boat and Little House on the Prairie were top rating TV shows, Star Wars was a hit movie, ABBA's Dancing Queen was in the top ten and the Perth Football Club won their last WAFL Premiership.
"Today's results reflect the fact that our State's economy is booming," Dr Gallop said.
Western Australia's rate was also well below the national level of 5.6 per cent.
"Economic growth for WA is expected to be 6.75 per cent - the highest in almost a decade," Dr Gallop said.
"Importantly, on a quarterly basis the unemployment rate averaged 5.4 per cent for the three months to April this year."
Since February last year more than 32,000 jobs have been created in WA.
"We are well on track to meet our target of 125,000 new jobs in five years," the Premier said.
"My Government will continue to facilitate job growth as highlighted in last week's $3.9billion capital works programme for 2004-05."
Premier's office: 9222 9475