Nationals Senator Matt Canavan has thrown doubt on the accuracy or significance of the official unemployment rate, telling a Queensland Senate candidates forum that “look, whatever the unemployment rate is”, it would be being adversely affected by workplace vaccine mandates.
Canavan was replying to a question from a nurse who was unemployed due to her non-vaccinated status. She said she was still listed as employed, so was her agency replacement in her public hospital job, and so was her private sector replacement — “making three new jobs in all”.
Canavan’s response was ambiguous, so later Crikey asked him to clarify. He told Crikey:
Look it’s the best metric we have, and it’s got a lot of inadequacies. There’s lots of other issues with it [apart from vaccine mandates]. If you’re employed for an hour a week you’re classed as employed. Whether it’s 4% or 5% who really knows?
Canavan then went to talk to attendees, most of whom were keen to talk to him about vaccination compulsion.
Much of the Morrison government’s campaign has been premised on getting the unemployment rate down to 4%, “the lowest since the 1970s” as its advertising has had it. Much hope was placed on the possibility that it would score a “number with a three in front of it”.
This did not occur, and Canavan’s sudden casualness with the figure’s status — which occurred on Saturday night before the release of the current 5.1% inflation figure — may indicate a sudden desire on the Coalition’s part for a “conscious uncoupling’ from statistics-led politics.
The Coalition is facing a Reserve Bank rate rise next week, and another ABS unemployment figure (for April) will hit before polling day. Does it know something we don’t about which way it’s going to go?
In a way the numbers are already made up. Successive govts have re-defined the meaning of the word “unemployed” to fudge and sanitise the numbers to such an extent that any comparison to the 1970s or any other time period is next to meaningless because they are not the same thing. Under the 1970s definition unemployment could well be much higher than the current figure. Comparison with overseas unemployment rates is similarly problematic. We need a universal standard but we are not likely to get one while govts prioritise spin over truth and personal advantage over national interest.
And we vote for these guys? The level of dishonesty ought to be enough for everyone to boycott elections, or maybe only vote for independents with integrity.
Problem with independents is that each have own agendas and they cannot form Government with each of them non aligned to a party and would have no leader
There’s nothing to stop them agreeing on an agenda – and a leader – once the election is held and the results are known.
The ABS should be ashamed of the BS stats they put out. One hour employment a week = employed. What a load of crock!
What is crock?
There’s not a single person in Australia that is hired for 1hr then sent home. This does not align with fair work practices.
It also leaves out everyone who can’t start work immediately when the ABS happens to call. Looking for work but don’t have childcare for an immediate start? You don’t count as unemployed. Looking for work but have elderly parents to care for and can’t start immediately? You don’t count. Looking for work but you’re sick and can’t start immediately? You don’t count. Looking for work but have some other reason why you can’t start immediately, like car trouble or lack of public transport? You don’t count, either.
The true unemployment rate is much, MUCH higher than 4%- and that’s before we go anywhere near the underemployment rate.
Exactly right Michael. It does not matter how many or few hours a week you work the figures that Governments put out are rubbery at best.
There are so many anomalies in the figures that it is a puzzle that cannot be worked out.
The ILO definition (which = the Oz one Canavan cites) has been the ‘universal standard’ since 1980-ish…ie as shoe-horned in alongside Thatch/Reagan’s revolution. Prolly with the aid of whatever duchessed ex-Welsh coal mining/Merseyside dockworking unionists had been sinecured into the consolation gig there.
It’s obviously been no accident that labour force metrics have been ruthlessly quanticised, numericised and de-social-contextualised – (*takes breath*) – in parallel with neoliberal economic rationalism. Actually, redundant distinction, isn’t it.
We are all digitised input-cohorts now, at 15 minute scaled bloc. Apparently when you take a whizz on the shop floor at Amazon, you are temporarily ‘clocked off’…which gives the old crack about ‘shaking hands with the unemployed’ a right jolly new twist!
Eee-yup, solidarity brothers.
What was the “1970s definition” of unemployment, Michael?
The real unemployment number is 8%, the real un and UNDERemployment figure is 16%. (figures rounded)
Fraudenberg/LNP use the ABS metric that IF you are working OR volunteering for just 1 hour per week, then you are employed. A cynical fraudulent ploy.
Roy Morgan is much more realistic. Unemployment is defined as anybody looking for a job, no matter when.
What a great idea – let’s all make up our own numbers. Could abolish the ABS and save some money! /s
Many advocacy groups have been pointing out how rubbery the unemployment figures are for decades, and have been met with either crickets or derision from Matt Canavan’s ilk. Suddenly he’s interested at the behest of some pro disease nurses? LMAO.
I think it’s time for the media to ask Morrison a gotcha … What is the inflation rate.
I don’t think he will want to answer that one.