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Writer's pictureSam Wilks

Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics - unemployment rate of 29% not 5.7%

The un-employment and under-employment rate for the Territory is abysmal. As some of you know I was in the Real estate industry and we (agents) know how to tell a story with numbers. It’s not always the one people want to hear but it’s always a good story.

This is one of the websites and companies that provides details to governments and the public. They are paid for and employed by the federal government and in doing so in my own opinion make claims based on political bias.

www.profile.id.com.au check out NT employment figures

Lets look at some of these figures…

You need to be in a household at the time of the sensis, yet upto 8% of the territories population is considered homeless during a 12 month period based on Closing the Gap figures..

So lets just say that the figures may be out by + or – 5% of the population

The 2016 results are not yet up so I’m using 2011.

2011

a. Of those people that are able to enter the workforce 41,709 said they were not in it that’s 25.6%.

b. They did not state if they were in the labour force was an additional 17.142 that’s 10.5%.

c. Out of the workforce 5,398 said they were unemployed that’s 5.2% ( 3.3% of working age population)

d. Those that said they had some form of employment but not full-time or part-time an additional 2,695 or 2.6% (1.65% of total working age population)

e. In the Northern Territory at the time it was not feasible to survive in the NT an average of 20 hrs per week 26,247 or 25.3% of those employed. So we’ll call these people under-employed 16.2% of the working age population.

So Let’s look at the Population again

Total person working age at 2011. 162,763 people.

Based on the figures above the unemployment rate is between for the Territory is

a+b+c = 39.4% of the working population +/- 5%

The under-employment rate is

d+e =17.85% of the working aged population +/-5%

So why are they lying to us?

When something goes wrong, there is always a blame game and generally the media listens to who lines their pockets or has the deepest pockets.

When people are angry they tend to revolt and we don’t need revolting Territorians….Oops

A large proportion of this number can be attributed to our high ATSI (Aboriginal and Toress Strait Islander) population. They are also the reason our budget is so high per capita.

What some would describe as our greatest social failure also presents our greatest challenge and opportunity.

As I’ve stated before we are a resilient people and when you read my next article you will know when so many others like Banking organizations and Investor’s are telling people not to invest in the Territory, why you and any family members you have down South should definitely, in my opinion taking a look at investing in the Territory over the next 10 years.

Remember if you want to help me help you, please share your voice and vote for Sam4Rishardson this coming 26th August 2017. I have a vision for now and the future.

Note :

Disclaimer: This is an opinion piece the interpretation of figures presented are not the same as those that the .idcommunity.

This was written and authorized by Sam Wilks. The views included may not be those of others mentioned in the article but are those of Sam Wilks. If you have other idea’s feel free to comment below. Idea’s and differing opinion is recognition of a free and just democratic society. A Society I am happy to live in. Please however try not to be abusive or discriminative, you may be. But if I feel that your opinion may be harmful or is reported as being harmful, I will delete it.

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