Why are the unemployment figures so low?

by Will Mackey, Alex Ballantyne, Kat Clay

14.02.2022 Podcast
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Australia’s unemployment rate is at 4.2% – the lowest in more than a decade. And it’s not too far off slipping below 4%, something that hasn’t happened for half a century.

But who deserves the credit? Economic management during pandemic by the Prime Minister and Reserve Bank governor? Or to quote ACTU Secretary Sally McManus in her tweet, that “the reason why unemployment rates are low is because the borders are closed.”

Senior associates Alex Ballantyne and Will Mackey fact check these assertions on the podcast. Hosted by Kat Clay, Head of Digital Communications.

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Will Mackey
Senior Associate
Will Mackey is a Senior Associate at Grattan Institute. An economist and data scientist, he has worked in the Economic Policy, Education, and Health programs. He spent 2020 working on Australia’s COVID-19 response, with Grattan and in the Victorian Department of Health.

Kat Clay
Head of Digital Communications
Kat Clay is the Head of Digital Communications at Grattan Institute. She has more than a decade of experience in digital content and creative services across the non-profit and government sectors.

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