That's the fucked up thing about the system. It builds excuses for itself so that people can shrug it off. It's the guilt avoidance, a way to keep members of a cult docile. It's only by accepting the guilt that you understand what to do with it (help the people who are harmed, and stop the harm).

Quoted from the article: Australia’s GDP, after falling in 2020 during the first year of Covid-19, has bounced back vigorously and appears on track to grow at about the same rate as it has over the past 20 years.

Here's the thing, we either accept that COVID is still a thing and follow measures to mitigate it resulting in probable negative economic effects, OR we continue down our current path resulting in a labor shortage. The bourgeoisie can't have it both ways, but they don't want to accept that.

Why do you think 5% unemployment is considered "full" employment?

I've sometimes seen it written as 3%, but generally that's included to provide a more accurate estimate of overall employment. It represents the people who are currently between jobs and are actively searching for a new one. I probably would have been included in that stat when I left an abusive employer and searched until I found my current one.

It isn't some kind of capitalist conspiracy.

This is also the real reason why conservatives are again pushing to do away with child labor restrictions in the US. If a child is allowed to do the job for a lower wage, it lowers the wage for adults, too.