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Unemployment hits new low
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Heath, aged care and hospitality key sectors
UNEMPLOYMENT across the Gippsland-Larobe is at an all-time low of 2 per cent, closer to zero in the South Gippsland and Bass Coast shires where job vacancies outweigh the numbers looking for work.
But if the situation is manageable now, those in hospitality especially are expecting a new crisis in recruitment is looming ahead of the summer season.
“If you had asked me a few weeks ago I would have said ‘yes’ but we’ve been fortunate enough to fill 12 vacancies in the past four weeks which is great,” said Steve Curtis manager of The Wonthaggi Club.
“Certainly, there’s still a strong demand for qualified chefs in the area and I would expect the difficulty getting staff in hospitality will resume as recruitment steps up again late October, early November.”
Feeding into the impression that business is mostly recruiting staff that already have jobs, Mr Curtis said more than half of those he was recruiting already had jobs.”
Job advertising locally indicates hundreds of vacancies in Bass Coast and South Gippsland with the health, aged care, hospitality and education sectors prominent, but it’s right across the board from Vinnies in Wonthaggi seeking an assistant manager, to the Wonthaggi Desalination Plant looking for admin staff, and a range of positions open at the Bass Coast Shire Council including Early Years Development Officer; Arts, Culture and Heritage admin officer, Community Safety Officers and a Roads Team Member.
Both the Gippsland Southern Health Service and Bass Coast Health have a range of positions available from allied health managers, to maternal and child health nurses, midwives, ward clerks, theatre nurses, and all sorts of nurses.
The local aged care centres, including Opal at Inverloch and Carinya at Korumburra are also recruiting.
The Sentinel-Times’ jobs list has a wide scope of positions on offer from taxi drivers and truck drivers, to real estate consultants including one at Alex Scott Grantville, jobs with Phillip Island Nature Parks, a range of roles at the South Gippsland Hospital in Foster including podiatrist, food & domestic staff, allied health and admin. See: https://www.sgst.com.au/jobs
It underscores the ABS data showing that regional unemployment in Victoria has plunged to an unprecedented low as jobs continue to grow in towns and cities across the state.
Victoria’s regional unemployment rate fell to 2.4 per cent in July – the lowest in the country and the lowest mark in the state’s history. The national regional unemployment rate stands at 3.3 per cent.
More than 8000 jobs were created in regional areas last month – the best performance among the states – pushing the total number of people in work in the regions to a record high 864,000.
More than 205,000 regional jobs have been created since the Labor Government was elected in November 2014, when the regional jobless rate was more than twice the current rate. The rise in regional jobs in Victoria since then has been greater than all other states in percentage terms.
In Shepparton the unemployment rate is 1.3 per cent, in Hume it’s 1.4 per cent, in Warrnambool and the South West it’s 1.7 per cent and in Latrobe-Gippsland it’s 2 per cent.
“Jobs creates connection and confidence for workers and the community – it’s a credit to all Victorians that the labour market is so buoyant,” said Treasurer Tim Pallas.
“Record high regional jobs and record low unemployment is a great combination and the outlook is positive.”
The labour market is strong in regional and metropolitan areas – overall, a record 3.65 million Victorians are in work and Victoria leads the nation in jobs created last month, over the past year and since November 2014.
More than 500,000 Victorians have secured a job since the September 2020 height of the pandemic economic shock – 140,000 more jobs than the next best performer.
Victorian wages jumped by 0.7 per cent in the June quarter and 3.6 per cent over the year – the highest annual growth since 2011 – providing a boost to family budgets.
The state’s population growth has also picked up.
Victoria grew by almost 40,000 in the December quarter – the highest increase reported by the ABS of all the states. Over the year, Victoria’s population increased by 2.1 per cent to 6.7 million persons.
Jobs Expo coming up
The Bass Coast Shire Council and its partners including Workforce Australia Local Jobs Program, South Gippsland Bass Coast Local Learning and Employment Network, and Skills and Jobs Centres are holding two Jobs Expo days at Cowes on Wednesday, October 4 (from 9.30am to 2.30pm at St Johns Uniting Church, 86 Chapel St, Cowes) and Wonthaggi on Wednesday, October 11 (From 9.30am to 2.30pm at the Wonthaggi Workmans Club, 75 Graham St, Wonthaggi).
Those looking for work are encouraged to come along on the day with their resumes, and will almost certainly be offered interviews if not jobs on the spot, such is the strength of the jobs market locally.
Expression of interest for business is open until Tuesday, September 26. See details: https://www.basscoast.vic.gov.au/services/business/local-jobs-expo
South Gippsland Shire held its Jobs Expo in March.
