NSW JOBS MARKET CONTINUES TO BE THE STRONGEST

NSW continues to have the strongest employment market among the states, recording the lowest unemployment rate for the tenth consecutive month and adding more than 126,000 jobs over the last year, today’s ABS data shows.

Over the year to March, NSW added more than double the number of jobs than the next strongest state and created more jobs than the rest of Australia combined.

Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian said NSW’s jobless rate, which remained steady at 5.3 per cent in March, has now been at or below the national average for 28 straight months.

“While other states are struggling to deal with major structural shifts in the national economy, NSW’s diversified and buoyant economy is continuing to support strong jobs growth,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“Our record spending on road, rail, hospitals and schools is boosting consumer and business confidence and is helping to create even more jobs.”

Ms Berejiklian said the ABS data suggested that NSW employers were offering more hours to their workers, with the number of hours worked rising by 4.4 per cent over the last year.

“The only other state to record a rise in hours worked was Queensland with a 0.6 per cent rise,” the Treasurer said. “All other states have reported falling hours worked over the last year.

“This result highlights the strength of the NSW economy relative to other states and shows part-time workers are being given more opportunities to pick up more hours.”

Since the Liberals & Nationals came to power in 2011, 297,000 jobs have been created in NSW – accounting for more than 40 per cent of jobs added across the country.