Companies in SA adjust to the global crisis

Submitted 16/01/2009

AAP

Companies in South Australia are adjusting their workforces in response to the global economic downturn, the state government says.

South Australia bucked the national trend in December, posting 0.1 percentage point fall in unemployment to 5.3 per cent.

The figures put the number of people in jobs at 782,000 with 45,100 looking for work.

But Acting Employment Minister Carmel Zollo said they also showed a significant drop in part-time employment.

"We warned last month that we expected a weakening of the labour market as a result of the global financial crisis and the difficult economic circumstances facing the global economy," Ms Zollo said.

"It now appears that businesses are reducing the numbers of part-time members of their workforce."

The minister said it was important for employers to continue their commitment to training to maintain the capacity to rebound swiftly as the economic conditions improved.