- Published:
- Friday 23 September 2016
Annual total and full-time job creation in regional Victoria is leading the nation, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Data shows Victoria’s strong jobs growth continues. Compared with the same time last year, more than 23,600 extra people are gainfully employed across regional Victoria (up 3.6 per cent), including 9600 people on a full-time basis (up 2.3 per cent).
During that same time, the unemployment rate across regional Victoria fell from 5.9 per cent to 5.6 per cent.
Victoria’s regional unemployment is now well below the national rate of 6.1 per cent, with regional centres including Bendigo, Hume, Victoria’s North West, and Warrnambool and South West Victoria reporting improved unemployment figures.
Compared with the same time last year, Victoria’s North West regional unemployment has dropped to 2.6 per cent from 7.5 per cent.
Bendigo’s rate has also declined to 3.8 per cent from 7.9 per cent last year and the Hume region is sitting at 5.2 per cent from 6.9 per cent.
During the past three months, the Warrnambool and South West region’s unemployment rate dropped from 6.5 per cent to 4.2 per cent.
The ABS also noted that Victoria’s population rate has officially hit the 6 million mark, reaching a quarter of Australia’s 24 million population.
Victoria's population grew by 1.9 per cent over the year to March 2016 – the highest among the states, and above the national growth rate of 1.4 per cent.
Quotes attributable to Treasurer Tim Pallas
“These figures confirm once again that Victoria is the jobs creating capital of the nation – and that there are jobs being created throughout the state.”
“Our investment in our infrastructure and the skills and health of our people means the Victorian economy is going from strength to strength, with more than 176,000 new jobs since we were elected.”