A bit like the LNP claims about new jobs created. Full-time, part-time, casual, zero-hour, low price contract or student or 471 visa holder. Offset by sackings, closures, redundancies. I suspect that there are lots of people working unpaid overtime with new jobs being largely part-time or casual you might find that total work hours have fallen.
Numbers of flying people will always go up and down. With wages levels pegged below inflation there is little incentive for people to go flying. The numbers issue is more to do with government policies rather than RAA behaviours.