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SA opposition says employment down

A leaked SA budget document showing a $376 million blow-out also shows employment is set to decline, the opposition says.

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Source: AAP


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A leaked cabinet document shows South Australia's employment is set to decline by three-quarters of one per cent in 2013-14, says opposition leader Steven Marshall.

He also says ABS data released on Thursday showed the number of unemployed people in Adelaide was 46,000, its highest level in 14 years.

South Australia faces an election on March 15.

On Wednesday, Premier Jay Weatherill said that updated figures showed the state had taken a $376 million hit since the government handed down its mid-year review in December.

The figures showed the current financial year's deficit was expected to reach a $1.1 billion, $60 million more than the December forecast.

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The details were leaked before Mr Weatherill held a media conference when he said the update showed a $303 million deterioration in the state's GST receipts, as well as the impact of the 2017 Holden closure.

On Thursday, Opposition leader Steven Marshall said the document also showed that the state's employment is set to decline by three-quarters of one per cent in 2013-2014.

This was a decline of a full percentage point from the employment growth figure of 0.25 per cent used in the mid-year budget review 51 days ago, he said.

"Today's data is extremely concerning given the dire jobs reduction revealed in Mr Weatherill's damaging leaked cabinet document yesterday," he said.

Mr Weatherill earlier told ABC Radio that he does not know who leaked the document, but "it wasn't somebody from around my cabinet table".

He said he was planing to reveal the updated figures before they were leaked.


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