The ABS has just released labour market data for December, with Australia’s unemployment rate plummeting to 4.2% after creating 64,800 jobs:

According to Bjorn Jarvis, head of labour statistics at the ABS:
“This is the lowest unemployment rate since August 2008, just before the start of the Global Financial Crisis and Lehman Brothers collapse, when it was 4.0 per cent. This is also close to the lowest unemployment rate in the monthly series – February 2008 – and for a rate below 4.0 we need to look back to the 1970’s when the survey was quarterly”.
Below are the key statistics for December 2021:
- Unemployment rate decreased to 4.2%.
- Participation rate remained at 66.1%.
- Employment increased to 13,242,000.
- Employment to population ratio increased to 63.3%.
- Underemployment rate decreased to 6.6%.
- Monthly hours worked increased by 18 million hours.

The result smashed analyst’s expectations of a 4.5% unemployment rate on 30,000 new jobs.
I’ll be back later with a detailed report.
- Mortgage repayments to double for half a million Aussies - May 17, 2022
- Walls close in on Australian first home buyers - May 17, 2022
- Links 17 May 2022 - May 17, 2022
Paying Grug Jericho.
What a Grug.
Greg the unemployment stats, Greg the unemployment stats
(To the tune of Greg the stop sign, tism)
“Quick! Shovel more immigrants!”
Yeah. Boom times!
The RBA are soon going to have to come out and revise their target again in the 2% range.
The Hungarian is out spruiking the LNP’s best ever employment creation credentials.
Well it’s true and so he should. This is a great achievement of Liberal Nationalist Party economic management regardless of what or you commie Labor lovers think!!!
Pfft.
Is this the same ABS who considers anyone who has done at least 1 hour paid work in the past 14 days, “employed”?
So what?
How many people working one hour every two weeks do you know who would consider themselves “employed”?
Had to laugh at the ABC. It was almost as if they cut off the bank economist they were interviewing as soon as the conversation drifted into immigration increases and suppressed wage growth. Wondering if I am living in a media blackout on these matters. Not really wondering.