Whilst it seems like unemployment levels are low,  these figures are to be taken with a pinch of salt, most of the new jobs that have become available are part time in nature, therefore this news is not as good as it first seems.

This article titled “Unemployment rate falls but part-time work dominates job growth” was written by Gareth Hutchens, for theguardian.com on Thursday 14th June 2018 07.13 UTC

Australia’s unemployment rate has fallen to a six-month low in May – but the new jobs being created in the economy are overwhelmingly part-time in nature.

Full-time jobs fell by 20,600 during the month, and part-time jobs rose by 32,600, leaving a net improvement of 12,000 positions, while the monthly hours worked in all jobs decreased, by 1.4%.

The overall unemployment rate fell to 5.4%, down from a figure of 5.6% in April.

Economists say the figures are disappointing and the improvement in the unemployment rate is not what it seems. They say the unemployment rate declined because the participation rate eroded.

In trend terms, which smoothes the volatility in seasonally adjusted figures, the unemployment rate held steady at 5.5%, where it has sat since August 2017.

Malcolm Turnbull welcomed the news, saying the fall in the unemployment rate and the small lift in jobs shows the Coalition’s policies are job-creating.

“Jobs and growth is what we said in 2016 and we’re delivering on it, because we have got the policies that are building a stronger economy,” he said on Thursday.

But economists say a closer look at the figures shows the decline in the unemployment rate occurred because the labour force actually declined by 14,800 persons.

The “labour force” is defined as the number of persons who are either employed or unemployed but actively looking for work. If an unemployed person stops looking for work altogether, they will drop out of the official “labour force” and the labour force will shrink.

The labour force declined in May, in seasonally adjusted terms, from 13,247,700 persons to 13,232,900 persons.

That means the participation rate – which is the “labour force” expressed as a percentage of the working population aged 15 years and over – also declined, by 0.1 points to 65.5%. The participation rate is now 0.3 points off its January high of 65.8%.

Data shows the pace of annual jobs growth has also slowed to 2.5% –the slowest rate since July last year.

The “underemployment rate” (tracking those who are employed but who want more work) has also increased slightly, by 0.1 points to 8.5%, and the underutilisation rate (unemployed persons + underemployed persons) is still sitting at 13.9%.

Kate Hickie from Capital Economics said: “Overall, even if the pace of job creation picks up again in the coming months, this excess slack and other structural forces are likely to prevent wage growth from increasing much above its current rate of 2.1% this year. In fact, we suspect it will remain below 2.5% throughout this year and next.”

Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe told a business audience in Melbourne this week that the RBA was still trying to figure out why countries such as Australia were not experiencing the traditional increase in wages growth in response to tightening labour markets.

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The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) says the value of Australian shipping and the industry’s highly trained crews has been proven yet again with the rescue of three people stranded in the sea off Fremantle for close to three hours.

Local media reports said that around 8.10pm on Saturday night, the skipper of a recreational boat, which had been returning from Rottnest Island, alerted Fremantle Sea Rescue and Water Police that three people had fallen from the vessel.

MUA WA Branch Assistant Secretary Danny Cain said crew members on board the Far Statesman were called upon for search and rescue 10 miles off Fremantle.

“At around 22:40 all hands on deck heard shouts of help off the vessel’s starboard bow and with a sweep of the spotlight three people were spotted in the water,” Cain said.

“Our bridge informed the water police of our position and all three people were pulled to safety after police arrived.

“A great job was done by all on board with a safe ending to what could have been a tragedy.

“This is the second rescue performed by this crew in the past three months and goes to show that local knowledge goes a long way in emergency situations.”

Police said while the vessel was equipped with all required safety equipment, the missing people weren’t wearing life vests.

The three people – two 24-year-old women and s 30-year-old man – were kept in hospital overnight and treated for exhaustion, having drifted almost two kilometres in the 35 knot conditions.

It is not yet known what caused them to fall into the water. They were not breathalyzed as this is not a requirement in WA.

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The art of Portuguese surrealist painter Santiago Ribeiro will be displayed openly at the Thomson Reuters and Nasdaq OMX Group at Times Square in New York City throughout 2018.

“As usual, every time, I do something different and innovative and the idea of exhibiting in Times Square, New York, shows how media and new technologies are a modern way to divulge our art,” he said. declared Ribeiro.

His work will be shown daily, randomly, alternately, for several minutes in each session, until December 31, 2018.

Based on dreams and visions, Ribeiro’s metaphorical surreal imagery surprises, breaks and triggers mixed feelings.

His paintings have been described as “complex compositions illustrating profound concerns about modern society and its individual and collective behavior.”

Born in Coimbra, Ribeiro attended art classes at Escola Avelar Brotero and the Escola Superior de l’Education in Coimbra.

He has organized and participated in numerous individual and collective art exhibitions in Portugal and abroad.

Ribeiro’s work has been featured at the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon,  Huffingtonpost, The Herald News, Associated Press and many other publications (link).

Its sponsors include the Bissaya Barreto Foundation, Câmara de Coimbra and the North American MagicCraftsman studio.

His work is represented in several private collections as well as in the contemporary art collection of the Machado de Castro National Museum and in the Bissaya Barreto Foundation in Coimbra, Portugal.

He has devoted his life to painting and promoting 21st century surrealist art, through exhibitions around the world.

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GC2018 supports campaign to protect children around the world

An international initiative aimed at educating sports fans and the general public about the issue of knowing the signs of child abuse and exploitation will have a presence at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018).

‘It’s a Penalty’ (IAP) works with the governing bodies of sports and organisers of major sporting events to highlight the global problems associated with child abuse.

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) CEO, Mark Peters said he was pleased to provide opportunities through GC2018 to increase awareness of ‘IAP’ and all that it stands for.

“IAP uses sporting events like the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games as platforms to share their message to unite through sport and encourage education and awareness to know the signs of child abuse and exploitation.

“We signed a memo of understanding early this year to demonstrate our commitment to work with IAP and will provide them with opportunities, including in-venue video, information in media packs and support through our GC2018 digital channels,” Mr Peters said.

Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Chief Executive Officer, David Grevemberg CBE said the CGF aims to be a global leader in the promotion and protection of human rights and child safeguarding.

“We’re proud to support, share expertise and partner with It’s a Penalty to help develop this important global child-safeguarding initiative in 2018,” Mr Grevemberg said.

IAP Chief Executive Officer, Sarah de Carvalho MBE said prevention is infinitely preferable to cure when it comes to child abuse.

“Our extensive efforts with GOLDOC and the CGF is invaluable for the work we are undertaking in 2018.

“From our experience with previous global sporting events, we know how crucial it is to educate, equip and encourage the public to stop more children becoming victims of sexual violence.

“We cannot thank the organisations enough for the support they have already shown and will continue to show in the build-up and then throughout the eleven days of world class sport,” Mrs de Carvalho said.

IAP positions major sporting events as platforms for positive change across all societies by educating, equipping and encouraging the general public to #knowthesigns of child abuse exploitation and to take action – ‘if you see something, say something’.

It’s a Penalty is working closely with Bravehearts, a leading Gold Coast-based child protection organisation, to provide volunteers for IAP’s Games-time activities.

Find out more at www.itsapenalty.org.

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Mug shots are always used to identify trouble makers and criminals but police around the world have one problem: having only one shot of criminals’ faces makes it difficult to identify them on CCTV footage.
Police in Japan have come up with a solution. They are planning to use 3D cameras to take mug shots, making it easier to identify people from security camera footage.
According to the Asahi Shimbun news site, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police will be able to adjust the size and angle of the 3D mug shots. They can then compare shots with images taken from security cameras.
“As we can identify the suspects more quickly and accurately, our arrest rate is expected to become greater,” a high-ranking investigation officer of the MPD told the new site.
All 102 of the city’s police stations will be fitted with the 3D imaging tech from April this year.
It will allow cops to take 3D mug shots as well as well conventional pictures for their investigations.
Using the technology, pictures will be shot from three different directions. The image will then be illuminated with striped lighting to create a 3D effect.

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Congratulations go to Southern Cross Care SA&NT for their recent win at the Hesta Outstanding Organisation Award, specifically for launching their Health & Wellness Centres (gyms) in 13 of their residential care homes.
The winners were recognised for their exceptional contribution to improving the quality of life of older Australians in three categories: Outstanding Organisation, Team Innovation, and Individual Distinction.
HESTA CEO, Debby Blakey, said the winners reflected the vital work of aged care professionals in meeting the challenge of providing high-quality care and support to the growing number of older people in our community.
Southern Cross Care Director Operations, Jo Boylan, said they have seen extraordinary positive changes in residents since the introduction of the Health & Wellness Centres, with a 54% reduction in fractures in the first year of the program.
“We are all about keeping our people mobile so they can keep doing all the things they enjoy in life,” she said.
Southern Cross Care supports healthy ageing for their customers. Healthy ageing is defined by the World Health Organisation as ‘keeping people physically functional so that they can do the things they love most’.
Physical fitness underpins people’s ability to perform activities such as getting up out of a chair, walking or participating socially.
The Health & Wellness Centres are coordinated by qualified fitness coordinators providing individualised fitness programs aimed at improving residents’ strength, fitness and general wellbeing and were part of an organisation-wide focus on promoting quality of life for all residents through healthy ageing interventions that support their physical health, social relationships, psychological and spiritual wellbeing.
Ms Boylan continued, “Our health-for-all approach means that, not only residents, but staff as well can use the gyms, which gives them access to fitness facilities that they may not otherwise have, and which are free.”
On winning the Hesta Outstanding Organisation Award, Ms Boylan said she “would like to direct the awarded money to purchasing three wheeler trikes to enable residents to ride around the homes and community.”
She continued, “This peloton of bikes would continue to show our strong commitment to keeping people as active and engaged in life as they can be. We may even join in the tour down under!”
The passion, skill and energy of staff is what has created the environment and opportunity for our customers to live Healthy Ageing. The Wellness Centres have been places for sharing, strengthening current relationships and building new ones, plus all of the fitness gains.
“You are never too old to take on a new challenge. Never. Because I’m taking it on and it’s amazing the difference to your life you can make”
Our focus is helping people age healthily, maintain valued independence, stay informed, and vitally, keep connected with family and friends. We believe remaining active and healthy is the key to connected living.

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Between 2012 and 2016, the number of Australian adults whose diet is all or almost all vegetarian has risen from 1.7 million people (or 9.7% of the population) to almost 2.1 million (11.2%), the latest findings from Roy Morgan Research reveal. While it is a nationwide trend, the shift towards vegetarianism has been most striking in New South Wales, where there has been a 30% growth in this kind of diet.

As of March 2016, 12.4% of people living in NSW agreed that ‘The food I eat is all, or almost all, vegetarian’, up from 9.5% back in 2012. There was also a solid increase in Western Australia, with 10.9% of adult Sandgropers adopting a meat-free (or meat-minimal) diet (up from 8.7% in 2012), and in South Australia (10.4%, up from 8.5%).

As it did in 2012, Tasmania leads the nation with the highest proportion of residents who eat little or no meat (12.7%, up from 12.2%), while Queensland (9.2%, up from 8.3%) retains the distinction of being the state least inclined towards vegetarianism.

Where Australia’s vegetarians live: 2012 vs 2016

where-vegetarians-live-chart

Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), April 2011-March 2012 (n=19,167); April 2015-March 2016 (n=14,380)

Australia’s vegetarians (and those who eat an almost vegetarian diet) are more likely to live in capital cities than in regional or rural areas. Given NSW’s vege-friendly status, it’s hardly surprising that Sydney is the capital with the greatest proportion of residents who eat little or no meat (14.4%); ahead of Hobart (13.3%) and Melbourne (12.7%).

Veges: good for the waistline?
As Roy Morgan Research has explored in the past, many Australians adopt a vegetarian diet for health and/or weight-loss reasons – and this hasn’t changed. Nearly half (48.7%) of Aussies 18 who eat little or no meat agree that ‘A low-fat diet is a way of life for me’ (well above the population average of 31.9%) and 36.7% agree that ‘I always think of the number of calories in the food I’m eating’ (compared with the 25.2% national average).

And it seems they’re onto something: while 60.7% of Australian adults have a Body Mass Index that qualifies as overweight or obese, this figure drops to 45.4% of those whose diet is mostly or totally vegetarian.

Norman Morris, Industry Communications Director, Roy Morgan Research, says:

“Whether people are embracing a less meat-heavy diet for health, environmental or animal-welfare reasons, the fact remains that this trend looks set to continue. Not only has there been an increase in near or total vegetarianism across Australia, but almost 9.9 million Aussie adults (53.4%) agree that they’re ‘eating less red meat these days’.

“If they have not already, supermarkets and eateries would be wise to revisit their vegetarian-friendly options to ensure they are catering adequately for this growing – and potentially lucrative — consumer segment.

“Of course, to do this successfully, an in-depth understanding of the segment is crucial: which is where the power of Roy Morgan Single Source data comes in. For example, Australians whose diet is largely or completely vegetarian are 20% more likely than average to spend more than $40 per week on fruit and vegetables, 93% more likely to buy organic food whenever they can, and 14% more likely to try new types of food.

“Roy Morgan’s ground-breaking consumer profiling tool Helix Personas allows businesses in the food industry to identify the country’s vegetarians with unprecedented accuracy, enabling them to create marketing campaigns and branding that are relevant and appealing to their target audience.

“For example, nearly 30% of people who fall within the Fit & Fab persona eat little or no meat. Based primarily in inner-city neighbourhoods, Fit & Fab tend to be young, sociable, sporty and always on the go. While they’re not averse to some serious partying, they are also careful to balance their action-packed lifestyle with a healthy diet – which is where vegetarian food would come in.

“In contrast, vegetarianism is frequently a cultural choice for the segment known as New Australians, nearly one third of whom follow a diet free of or low in meat. Comprised largely of Indian, Chinese and other Asian immigrants living in outer suburban areas, New Australians are well educated, socially connected and in the early stages of their careers. They enjoy domestic life – even grocery shopping, where they would certainly take an interest in vegetarian products on offer.”

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Shares in Lithium companies are soaring after Tesla produced a strong outlook for electric vehicles powered by batteries using the light metal.

The trend has seen The Global XCT Lithium ETF and Soalctive Global Lithium Index rising by a third since February.

According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, lithium production could triple over the next 15 years.

That would be driven not only by the electric car market but also batteries being installed on power grids.
Tesla is now building a lithium factory in Nevada, located near the only lithium mine in the United States. The estimated cost: $5 billion.

Musk has many other plans in store for us. It’s a brave new world, if you’re Elon Musk

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Experienced litigator encourages them to seek legal help to secure maximum compensation

Recovering prostate cancer patients wrongly informed their illness had returned should seek urgent and expert legal help to secure maximum compensation for the distress the wrong diagnosis imposed, an experienced compensation litigator has advised.

Earlier this week, the South Australian Government reported that as many as 52 men had been wrongly informed their prostate cancer may have returned despite surgery to remove the cancer.

The report found the incorrect diagnosis was reached via faulty testing kits administered by SA Pathology, the state’s public health laboratory.

Maddens Lawyers Class Action Principal Brendan Pendergast, who successfully settled Australia’s first Black Saturday Bushfire Class Action and has represented hundreds of other bushfire victims from across Victoria and New South Wales over the past 30 years, suggested those affected by the false results should seek legal help to ensure appropriate redress.

“A compensation claim prepared by an experienced litigator is the most effective way to secure adequate compensation,” Mr Pendergast explained.

“Compensation claims may be a complex process however advancing a claim will be simplified by engaging a lawyer experienced in these types of negotiations. Those representing the party at fault want to ensure their payout is as low as it can be. Anyone lacking in experience in this process may find themselves missing out on everything they are entitled to.”

He encouraged anyone affected by the faulty screening tests to contact an experienced lawyer or visit maddenslawyers.com.au for further information.

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