Treasurer Supports Growth Figures, Affirms Jobs in NDIS as Legitimate Career Opportunities
The Treasurer emphasizes that jobs in the care sector should be considered just as important as private sector roles.
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers has defended his government’s creation of one million new jobs, with a significant portion being in the taxpayer-backed care sector.
Chalmers stated, “While we aim for more job growth in the private sector as the economy improves, we must acknowledge that care economy jobs are legitimate. It is unjust to undervalue these roles simply because they are in the care sector.”
He added, “With an aging population and increasing needs, we must respect and fairly compensate care economy workers. We are committed to valuing and properly compensating them.”
Chalmers criticized critics who devalue care economy jobs, highlighting a sense of elitism in their perspective. He emphasized that these are real jobs that deserve recognition and fair pay.
Government Roles Accounted for Half of New Jobs in Early 2024
In a recent statement, Matt Barrie, CEO of Freelancer, referred to job creation in Australia as “a mirage,” citing that a large portion of the new jobs were in government-supported sectors like the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
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The NDIS currently accounts for $49 billion in government spending annually and is growing at a rapid rate, making it a significant aspect of the federal budget.
While specific sector data for the latter part of the year is pending until early 2025, statistics show that half of the jobs filled in the first half of the year were in the public sector.
Federal government spending reached a record high of 11.8 percent of GDP last quarter (June-August).
This level of spending has not been seen since the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Commonwealth and state government expenditures now comprising 27.6 percent of GDP, a post-war record.
