SA: SA welcomes fall in unemployment

AAP General News (Australia)
08-10-2000
SA: SA welcomes fall in unemployment

ADELAIDE, Aug 10 AAP - South Australia had survived a turbulent wave of unemployment
and was headed for smoother waters, the state government said today.

SA Employment Minister Mark Brindal today welcomed a drop in the state's unemployment
rate to 7.8 per cent.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures released today showed SA's unemployment
rate dropped 0.3 per cent last month to 7.8 per cent.

The ABS said youth unemployment in the state fell 5.5 per cent last month to 20.5 per cent.

Mr Brindal said SA had experienced "turbulence" in employment figures but was now "heading
in the right direction".

"There are 1,800 fewer people unemployed in SA last month," Mr Brindal said of the ABS figures.

"We are now witnessing a positive trend in the employment figures which should lift
the confidence of job seekers."

State opposition employment spokeswoman Stephanie Key said today's statistics were
welcome news for South Australians.

"It's great unemployment has fallen ... although it's still a full 1.5 percentage points
higher than the national average," she said in a statement.

"Let's hope this lift in jobs and drop in unemployment rate is not just a monthly blip."

AAP sl/it/de

KEYWORD: JOBS SA

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