Today's Labour force figures expose the growing gap between Jim Chalmers' rhetoric and the economic reality Australians are facing with higher unemployment and a cost of living crisis.
Labor's own Budget forecast the unemployment rate for the end of this financial year to be 4.25%. Today's figure of 4.5% shows the labour market is responding to the economic chaos created by this Labor Government.
Hours worked have again reached a new record level with more than 2,036 million hours worked in the month, yet Australians are struggling to get ahead in Labor's economy. Australians are working harder for less.
More than 140,600 additional Australians are unemployed than when the Coalition left office, confirming that Australians are worse off under Labor.
Alarmingly, youth unemployment is more than double the national rate, and 80,300 more young Australians are unemployed than when the Coalition left office. Young Australians are being left behind by this Labor Government.
Women have also borne the brunt of Labor's weakening economy with the drop in female employment driving the overall fall in employment.
Shadow Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations Senator Jane Hume said these figures are a stark warning sign for the Australian economy and Labor's toxic tax increases are only going to make things worse.
"Australians are working record hours but not getting ahead because under Labor, productivity has collapsed and living standards have gone backwards.
"At a time when more Australians are losing their jobs and those with jobs are working harder and longer, the last thing we need right now is higher taxes. Labor's toxic tax increases on small and family businesses will only put more pressure on jobs.
"Young Australians were already being hit hardest by Labor's economy and that was before they decided to pull the ladder up on younger Australians through their higher taxes that amount to intergenerational fraud.
"Labor's Budget was already rotten, but now it also looks to be out of date."
"The Treasurer has not yet explained why his Budget decided to use economic forecasts that deviate so far from the RBA's more subdued outlook.
"But given it appears Jim Chalmers doesn't even understand how the tax changes in his Budget work, we shouldn't be surprised. Australians should however be worried for what the future holds under this Treasurer."
Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson said, "the Prime Minister promised his active inflation agenda would deliver lower unemployment, but instead it's rising and youth unemployment has jumped by 1 per cent alone".
"The small and family businesses of Australia are losing confidence, and that will hurt employment growth"
"The solution to higher inflation and higher employment isn't more taxes".
