Work force data released today shows Australians are having to work more hours just to make ends meet as Australia’s cost of living crisis continues to bite.

While the unemployment rate remained steady at 3.5% many Australians are now breaking under the cost-of-living strain.

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor said Australians are now working 88 million more hours per month than they were at the time of the last election and the number of multiple job holders has increased by almost 90,000.

“Inflation is eating away at the hard work of Australians. Labor’s failure to take inflation seriously is making Australians poorer and setting the economy up for failure,” Mr Taylor said.

“The strength of the labour market, inherited from the Coalition, is the shining light in what is an economy grinding to a halt under Labor,’’ he said.

“Australians deserve a government that puts fighting inflation and growing the economy priority number one, two, and three – it isn’t just the job of the Reserve Bank,” Mr Taylor said.

Shadow Minister for Employment Senator Michaelia Cash said: “The big danger for our economy and the job market are the policies of the Albanese Labor Government.”

“Employers have been very clear that Labor’s extreme industrial relations laws will put pressure on prices and hurt productivity,’’ she said.

“Multi-employer bargaining has only just begun, and Labor has more extreme IR laws on the way that employers have warned will be a disaster for the economy,’’ Senator Cash said.

“The Albanese Government needs to abandon its proposed 'same job, same pay' extreme industrial relations changes to ensure continued confidence in the labour market," she said.

ENDS