AUSTRALIA’S jobless rate will more than double between now and 2010, when over one million people are expected to be out of work, as the global economic slowdown weighs on China, a leading international bank says.
JPMorgan Australia’s chief economist Stephen Walters said a slowdown in China’s economic growth will be detrimental to the creation of jobs in Australia in the next two years.

“We now expect the jobless rate to more than double to 9 per cent in late 2010, from the current 4.3 per cent,” Mr Walters said.

“Softer growth in one of Australia’s leading export destinations means Australia’s export volumes will be lower, as will be the terms of trade.

“That said, on our forecasts, there will be one million unemployed Australians by the second half of 2010.”

September 1994 was the last time the nation’s jobless rate started with a 9, when it registered 9.1 per cent.

Meanwhile, Australia’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth is expected to fall to 1.4 per cent in 2009, based on reduced expectations for expansion in China, Mr Walters said.

An expected slowing in export volumes, lower business investment and reduced household spending, which constitutes 60 per cent of the economy, also prompted the growth outlook downgrade.

The Chinese government said on Monday its economic growth was 9.9 per cent for the first three quarters of this year, down from 11.9 per cent last year.

• World economies to decline in 2009: IMF
• China’s growth slowing
• Xerox to cut 3,000 jobs in next six months