It’s more important to know the impact of your policies than to know economic figures off-hand | Greg Jericho

If there's ever a moment where the PM needs to know the exact unemployment rate without looking at the internet, we're all truly stuffed

Later on Thursday the new unemployment rate will come out, and because of the focus on the number this week (and whether or not leaders know it), it will probably get more focus than normal. Alas, most likely the number itself will get the focus rather than any economic policy surrounding it - including the conditions of those who remain unemployed.

One of the annoying things about the Albanese gaffe" (such as it was) of forgetting the unemployment rate is that it enabled any discussion around economic policy to drift into the trivial.