Queensland unemployment rate down, but still second-worst in the nation

Almost 194,000 Queenslanders were out of a job last month as the state continued to reel from the economic fall-out of COVID-19.

That was about 25,000 extra people in the jobless queue compared with a year earlier, before the world was gripped by the coronavirus pandemic.

Treasurer Cameron Dick said thousands of Queenslanders have now found a job.Credit: Attila Csaszar

More men were out of work than women in Queensland in January — 108,700 compared with 85,000 women, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The latest labour force data also shows the Queensland unemployment rate was 7 per cent in January, down from 7.5 per cent in December.

Queensland recorded the second-worst unemployment rate in the country, with only South Australia posting a worse result, at 7.1 per cent.

In NSW, the unemployment rate was 6 per cent. It was 6.3 in Victoria and 6.2 per cent in Western Australia.

Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick said the state had recovered more jobs than any other state and territory since the “depths of the pandemic” in May, with 224,000 Queenslanders finding work.

“There are 29,700 more Queenslanders working today than there were in January 2020,” he said.

“Queensland is the only state to have more people in work today than were working a year ago.

“Victoria is still 16,000 jobs short of its level this time last year. New South Wales is 53,000 jobs behind.”

LNP employment spokesman Brent Mickelberg said about 194,000 Queenslanders who wanted a job could not get them.

“The Labor government must fast-track infrastructure projects that will create thousands of jobs,” he said.