The reprieve in Queensland’s stubbornly high unemployment could not have come at a better time for the Newman State Government, which is headed for the polls this Saturday in a bid to gain a second electoral term.
In the ABS labour force release for December, issued earlier this month, Queensland’s headline unemployment rate fell sharply to 6.1% from 6.8% in November, with the more reliable trend measure also falling marginally to 6.6% (see next chart).