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New figures show unemployment rates in NSW are the worst in the country, rising to 4.9 per cent last month compared with a national average of 4.1 per cent, Shadow Minister for Finance Mike Baird said today.
“NSW now has the added shame of the worst unemployment rates in the country,” Mr Baird said.
“While unemployment in NSW rose 0.2 per cent from July to August, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory experienced a fall in their figures*.
“Sadly NSW residents must brace themselves for a continuing fall-out from many years of poor governance and sloppy financial management by this State Labor Government.
“The NSW economy is now contracting and this week the new Premier tells us he has neither ‘the time nor the inclination’ to explain why there is a $1 billion hole in the Budget.
“There is no doubt these are tough times in the global market but the truth is the State Labor Government has failed to prepare the NSW economy to withstand any shocks, while at the same time racking up a $42 billion debt.”
According to the Chief Economist at ANZ, “NSW is again proving to be a drag on the national economy. The premier state is now the wooden spoon state”**.
“There is no surprise unemployment rates are rising when there is widespread dissatisfaction within the public sector,” Mr Baird said.
“Two-thirds of doctors and nurses have seriously considered quitting because they are exhausted and disaffected***; almost half of all new teachers are planning to leave the profession within 10 years****; and 780 NSW police left the profession in 2006-2007 alone*****.
“The Premier and the 'dodgy brothers' economic team of Eric Roozendaal and Joe Tripodi can't be trusted to turn the State’s $320 billion economy around,” Mr Baird said.
MEDIA: Lisa Harrington - 0406 726 880
* Australian Bureau of Statistics Labour Force report, 6202.0, Aug 2008
** ‘Global crunch hits NSW the hardest’, Australian Financial Review 4-09-08
*** University of Sydney’s Workplace Research Centre study involving 2860 doctors & nurses in NSW (Mar 08)
**** National survey of 1732 public school teachers by the Australian Education Union (reported Mar 08)
***** NSW police force annual report 2006-07
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