Unemployment in Australia

Abstract

The reason for writing this book is to be found in Chart 1. This shows how we are continuously faced with the presence of unemployment in our community, and how, from time to time the situation becomes abnormally acute. Our chart shows the quarterly percentages of unemployed trade unionists for the sixteen years 1913-1928. It has not fallen below 5.2%, while on some occasions it has risen higher than 10%. The accuracy of these figures has been questioned, but even if they are inexact, there is no disputing the presence of the problem. How is it that such a large proportion of our working population cannot find work? Can the situation be remedied? These two questions go to make up what might well be called "our greatest social problem", and it is because statistical and economic analysis can add something to the community's store of knowledge, and can assist us towards answers to these questions that this study is undertaken.