More than 65,000 jobs have been lost as the pain Australians are feeling from the Albanese Government’s cost of living crisis continues into the New Year.

The December Labour Force figures show the unemployment rate remained steady at 3.9 per cent, but only because the participation rate fell back from record highs and people stopped looking for work.

Importantly, more than 106,000 full time jobs were lost, while part time employment increased by 41,400.

Australians have just suffered through one of the most expensive Christmas and New Year seasons in living memory and know things will not get any easier for them in 2024 under the Albanese Labor Government. 

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor said: “Australians are being smashed at the moment with falling real disposable incomes, rising prices, rising interest rates and rising taxes all having a big impact on family budgets.”

“In GDP per capita terms, we are in a recession. At the end of the day, that’s the economic reality that counts – the personal.”

“We are seeing the impact of an economy that’s going backwards. This is the biggest fall in jobs since 1993, outside of COVID.”

Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Senator Michaelia Cash said: “We know many Australians are hurting after stretching their budgets to the limit to make ends meet over Christmas and New Year.”

“The problem is the Albanese Government keeps making decisions that make the cost-of-living crisis worse not better,’’ Senator Cash said.

“We have a serious industrial dispute at ports across Australia that is costing the nation tens of millions of dollars a week but the Albanese Government will not intervene,’’ she said.

“Delays at our ports lead to increased costs for businesses that will be passed onto consumers. This is a dispute which will make the cost-of-living crisis worse but the Albanese Government has its head in the sand,’’ Senator Cash said.

“They won’t intervene in this dispute because they want to keep their union paymasters happy,’’ she said.

“Labor’s radical industrial relations agenda, with more business strangling regulations due this year, will only make things worse for businesses and in turn consumers,’’ Senator Cash said.

“The Albanese Government’s priorities are all wrong and they are out of touch with what is important to Australians,’’ she said. 

ENDS.