Jobless figure rises to 11.6 p. c.

TOWNSVILLE’S unemployment rate continues to rise to record highs, bringing job losses to 9100 in the past 12 months.

Latest Australian Bureau of Statistics employment figures released yesterday show the city’s unemployment rate rose in February to 11.6 per cent on a 12- month average, up from 11.4 per cent in January.

The new ABS figures also show that 6000 locals have given up looking for work altogether, with the participation rate still at its lowest ever level.

“We acknowledge that people in Townsville … are doing it tough,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in State Parliament yesterday.

Ms Palaszczuk pointed to the loss of about 850 jobs at Clive Palmer’s Queensland Nickel refinery as a contributor to increasing monthly figures in the past 12 months.

Ms Palaszczuk claimed jobs were being delivered under Labor, highlighting the Works for Queensland program which delivered $ 21.8 million to Townsville City Council for job- creating projects and her recent trip to India with Mayor Jenny Hill to push for the Adani mine deal for the city.

She also singled out the CBD stadium project as a significant future job boost.

“Construction is due to commence on that $ 140 million March 2016............ April ....................... May ........................ June ....................... July......................... August ..................... September ........... October ............... November................. December ............. January 2017 ........ February ............... project … which means more jobs on the ground for Townsville,” she said. “I look forward to the second half of the year when we will be in Townsville for the turning of the sod on the stadium project, getting hundreds of people into work.”

LNP treasury spokesman Scott Emerson said the Premier’s comments were “rhetoric” about projects, which in many cases were yet to create jobs.

He said she was not addressing the facts on joblessness.

“It’s the worst ever recorded unemployment rate in Townsville’s history, since jobless rates were recorded,” he said.

“It shows Labor has no idea about Townsville and they’re pretending their plan is working while local families are facing this devastating news.

“Annastacia Palaszczuk continues to spruik her failed jobs programs while a record number of parents and their children are looking for work.”