Victoria’s regional unemployment rate has dropped to the lowest mark on record and at just 4.2 per cent, remains the lowest of all the states.
Regional unemployment fell by 0.2 points in the three months to April, and has plunged 2.4 percentage points since the Andrews Labor Government came to office in November 2014.
Unemployment fell across the Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Hume, Latrobe-Gippsland, North West and Warrnambool-South West regions, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The Labor Government is backing our regions by cutting payroll tax, helping first-home buyers and providing the Free TAFE program for thousands of people looking to build the skills they need to find and keep a job.
The Government is continuing its record transport maintenance investment in rural and regional areas, rolling out unprecedented safety upgrades on high-risk roads and investing in track, signalling and station upgrades, and new trains for regional rail lines.
The Connecting Regional Communities Program is delivering improved mobile coverage, piloting new broadband networks for businesses in Horsham, Morwell and Geelong, and installing free public Wi-Fi in Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton and Geelong.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Jobs, Innovation and Trade Martin Pakula
“We’re investing in communities to ensure regional Victorians have the skills and technology they need to continue to grow and provide the conditions for sustainable employment.”
“Our record investments in regional infrastructure projects are helping communities thrive socially as well as economically.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Regional Development Jaclyn Symes
“We’ve created and protected thousands of jobs across the state by listening to local communities and providing the support businesses need to grow.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020