Prime Minister Scott Morrison will ramp up his economic attack on Anthony Albanese with a promise of 1.3 million jobs over the next five years, seizing on the Opposition Leader’s embarrassing campaign stumble where he could not remember Australia’s unemployment rate and official interest rate.

In a damaging opening day of campaigning, Albanese was forced into several public apologies after quizzed by journalists and unable to name the Reserve Bank’s cash rate of 0.1 per cent and incorrectly saying the unemployment rate was 5.4 per cent, not the current 4 per cent.

The Coalition seized on the gaffe as evidence of its assertion that Albanese lacks the experience to manage the economy, forcing the Labor leader to call a press conference to try to stem the political damage.

“I’m human. But when I make a mistake, I’ll ’fess up to it, and I’ll set about correcting that mistake,” Albanese said in Devonport, more than an hour after his comments in Launceston to a Tasmanian reporter.

Former prime minister John Howard, who incorrectly stated the cash rate during his unsuccessful 2007 campaign, played down the Labor leader’s mistake at a campaign event in Perth.

“Anthony Albanese didn’t know the unemployment. All right. So what?” Howard said.

Nine News political editor Chris Uhlmann, told Liam Bartlett that “the unemployment rate is something that gets discussed every day in Canberra. Anyone in this office should know that as it’s constantly repeated.”

Watch Albanese’s attempt to answer this question on our Instagram.

Press PLAY to hear Albanese’s response to the reporters question and Chris’ further comments about the upcoming election