Australian bishop says economic data misleading on unemployment

Published: 2004-05-03

SYDNEY, Australia (CNS) -- Unemployment figures in Australia would double to around 13 percent if the government factored in those who had part-time or seasonal jobs, the head of the Australian bishops' social justice council said in a pastoral letter. The letter, released to mark the May 1 feast of St. Joseph the Worker, said the addition of those segments into the overall figures would provide a more accurate assessment of Australia's economic performance for the past decade. "We cannot be content with our nation's economic performance while so many are unemployed or underemployed," said Bishop Christopher Saunders of Broome, chairman of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council. The bishop said Australia needs to consider ways to improve job security and increase wages. Bishop Saunders said that "despite a decade of high economic growth Australia's performance in providing full-time jobs has been poor."

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