- Published:
- Thursday 22 December 2016
Total and full-time job creation in regional Victoria continues to lead the nation with the state’s regional unemployment rate at its lowest in three years.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data released today shows regional Victoria’s unemployment rate fell to 5.1 per cent (three-month average) in November, below the national regional average rate of 5.5 per cent.
Since November 2014, 36,000 new jobs have been created in regional Victoria. By comparison, under the previous Liberal National Government, there were only 15,600 jobs created in regional Victoria.
This means that the Andrews Labor Government has created more than double the number of jobs in regional Victoria in two years, than the previous Government created in four slow years.
Victoria’s economy is growing strongly under the Labor Government, and we are now the only state to have recorded a rise in full-time employment in the past twelve months.
There were particularly strong results in Ballarat and the Latrobe-Gippsland regions, with 7,500 and 6,400 new jobs created respectively during the three months to November.
There were also strong results in Victoria’s other major regions, with 12,600 new jobs in Geelong in the past year, and almost 10,000 new jobs in Bendigo.
During the past twelve months, regional Victoria’s employment growth is the highest of all states in both absolute and percentage terms. While the national regional job number has fallen 5,200, the number of new jobs in regional Victoria is up almost 27,000 in the past year.
More broadly, during the past twelve months, Victoria’s jobs growth has been the best in the nation – with more jobs created in Victoria than the rest of Australia combined.
Since the Labor Government was elected in November 2014, more than 184,000 jobs have been created in Victoria – with 111,000 of them full time.
Quotes attributable to Treasurer Tim Pallas
“The Andrews Labor Government continues to deliver the things that matter for people in regional and rural Victoria – growing a stronger economy that creates more jobs and opportunities for Victorians.”
“Annual full-time job creation in regional Victoria is the best in Australia, reflecting the Labor Government’s work to create the best opportunities for all Victorians, no matter where they live.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Employment Wade Noonan
“These strong jobs numbers show that the Andrews Labor Government is changing people’s lives for the better.”
“We’ve created more than double the amount of jobs in regional Victoria in two years than the previous Liberal National Government managed to deliver in four – as we invest in Victoria and create opportunities.”