Australia's unemployment rate has hit its highest level since 1998 - with more than 800,000 Australians losing their jobs since the pandemic hit. The Prime Minister spent Thursday 16 July laying the foundations for the nation's recovery.
Scott Morrison says it's not all bad news. While full-time employment dropped, total employment rose. Mr Morrison says lost jobs are slowly being restored.
"And I would say to Australians, as difficult as these times are, let's not look down, let's look up, let's lift our heads. Today's employment figures shows there is hope. Today's employment figures shows we have done it before and we can do it again."
The Opposition's Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers is warning although the new scheme has a catchy name, it lacks detail.
"I think there'll be a lot of skepticism and a lot of concern in the community, that this is just another marketing slogan, which falls over in the detail in the delay, and in the damage already done by seven years of cuts to TAFE and training and apprentices under the life of this coalition government."
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People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Find out what restrictions are in place for your state or territory.
Testing for coronavirus is now widely available across Australia. If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
The federal government's coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe is available for download from your phone's app store.
The federal government's coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe is available for download from your phone's app store.
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