Gippsland records high youth unemployment
Employment growth in regional Victoria was more than double the national rate during the past year, according to latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The ABS data showed 27,000 new jobs were created in regional Victoria in the past year.
The latest data also showed unemployment in regional Victoria had fallen by 0.4 percentage points to 5.1 per cent – the second lowest regional unemployment rate in the nation.
But, Member for Eastern Victoria Melina Bath reported the youth unemployment rate in Gippsland was now the highest of anywhere in regional Victoria.
The ABS figures showed the youth unemployment rate had climbed 3.6 per cent since Daniel Andrews came to office in December 2014. The rate now sits at 14.8 per cent – 50 per cent higher than the average across regional Victoria.
The number of young people in Gippsland and Latrobe Valley who have jobs has declined by 5075 in that period.
The number of young people employed full-time in Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley has dropped 3538, while the number of youth employed part-time has dropped 1537.
“The youth unemployment rate in Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley keeps climbing but Daniel Andrews is doing nothing to ensure our young people are supported to break into the workforce,” Ms Bath said.
“While young people are struggling to find a job, not enough is being invested in education either. Student numbers are also declining across the Latrobe Valley.”
“Industry is being forced to close and there’s not enough investment in education across Gippsland.”
“If Daniel Andrews can’t protect the jobs that already exist in our community, how can our next generation trust him to create jobs for them,” Ms Bath said.
The ABS confirmed almost half of all the jobs created throughout regional Australia during the past year were created in Victoria.
In the past three months, there were almost 10,000 jobs created in regional Victoria.
Since November 2014, more than 60,000 jobs have been created across regional Victoria, with the unemployment rate dropping from 6.6 per cent to 5.1 per cent.
The Geelong, Hume and Latrobe-Gippsland regions all recorded falls in unemployment during the year, with figures showing the Latrobe Gippsland region generating 15,000 jobs.
Since November 2014, employment in Victoria has increased by 247,100 people – the most of all the states – with the majority of those jobs full time.
Treasurer Tim Pallas said the state government’s concerted efforts to create jobs and grow regional economies was gathering
momentum and creating opportunities right across Victoria.
“Our investments in infrastructure, health and education across regional Victoria, as well as our payroll tax cuts, are providing employment for thousands of Victorians and bolstering the confidence of regional businesses to expand their operations,” he said.