Jobless rate rises in SA
Submitted 11/03/2010
AAP
South Australia's jobless rate is still tracking well below the national average, despite a rise in February, Premier Mike Rann says. The latest figures put unemployment in SA at 4.7 per cent, up from 4.4 per cent in January. The national jobless rate was 5.3 per cent in February. Mr Rann said employment also reached a record high of 805,100 last month with 114,000 jobs created since his Labor government came to office in 2002. The premier, who goes to an election on March 20, said his Government had set a target of an extra 100,000 jobs over the next six years. "These new jobs will be driven by growth in key industries, such as mining, defence, renewable energy, tourism, education, food and wine and manufacturing," he said. Mr Rann said the participation rate in SA also remained steady in February at 63.2 per cent, indicating South Australians continued to have confidence in their ability to find a job.


