FED: Jobless fall not due to govt stimulus: Hockey
07 May 2009 2:14 PM
Subject: FED: Jobless fall not due to govt stimulus: Hockey FED: Jobless fall not due to govt stimulus: Hockey
SYDNEY, May 7 AAP - A fall in the nation's jobless rate is good news but is not the result of the federal government's stimulus packages, the opposition says.
Official data released on Thursday showed the unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to 5.4 per cent in April, from 5.7 per cent in March, led by a sharp fall in NSW.
Economists had expected the rate to rise to 5.9 per cent.
Opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey said the good news came after a "long string of negative" economic data over recent months.
"When you get good news, you should welcome it, and we do," Mr Hockey told reporters.
"The fact of the matter is it's good news because it means that there is hope out there.
"It also sends a very clear message to the Rudd government that this is not a leave pass for unrestrained spending in next week's budget."
Mr Hockey rejected any suggestion that the federal government's economic stimulus packages had contributed to the decrease in unemployment.
"No it isn't ... there have been various changes of data over time," he said.
"The fact of the matter is these figures will be volatile, although that doesn't mean it is not a good figure."
AAP nr/wjf/tnf =0A
FED: Jobless fall not due to govt stimulus: Hockey