Unemployment soars for women and young people

Australia's unemployment rate has risen to a six-year high say Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures released on July 9.

The ABS said unemployment had risen to 5.8% in June — slightly below a 5.9% forecast. Unemployment had risen 1.9% over the past 15 months. About 21,400 full-time jobs were lost from May to June, whereas part-time jobs increased marginally by 400 positions.

The NSW jobless rate was the country's highest. It rose from 6.4% to 6.5% — the worst result since October 2001.

The number of people actively looking for work also dropped, partly contributing to the better than expected figures. The participation rate fell from 65.4% to 65.3%. The official unemployment rate does not include those discouraged from seeking work.

Women and young people were the worst affected by the economic crisis. The ABS said women's unemployment rose sharply from 6.1% in May to 6.5% in June. Fifteen thousand women lost full-time work.

Youth unemployment nationwide soared to 17.4%. Again, young women were the most affected. About one-third of young women aged 15-19 were unemployed, the ABS said.

From GLW issue 802