Western Australia’s jobs market is the best in the nation, with new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics today showing the unemployment rate has declined to 2.9 per cent – the lowest unemployment rate since October 2008
WA’s unemployment rate is the best in the nation and well below the national rate of 3.9 per cent. No other State has ever achieved an unemployment rate below three per cent since current records began in February 1978.
Full-time employment in WA grew to over one million Western Australians for the first time in history, with an extra 19,000 full-time jobs added in April.
Importantly, youth employment is performing strongly, with the youth unemployment rate at 6.3 per cent – the lowest rate since December 2008 and much lower than the national rate of 8.9 per cent. Youth employment has increased by a massive 11.8 per cent over the year to April.
Aggregate hours worked, which is an indicator of overall economic activity, rose by 1.8 per cent in WA to a record 204.3 million hours in April.
WA’s participation rate has also remained by far the strongest of the States at 69.3 per cent in April, well above the national participation rate of 66.3 per cent.
The McGowan Government’s WA Jobs Plan is on track, with around 160,000 Western Australian jobs created since March 2017.
As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:
“My Government’s WA Jobs Plan and our strong economy is delivering for Western Australians.
“WA not only has the best unemployment rate in the nation, we are the only State to reduce the unemployment rate below three per cent since current records began.
“Full-time employment is also at an all-time high with more than one million Western Australians working full-time.
“Young Western Australians are also entering the workforce in large numbers, with the youth unemployment rate at its lowest in 13 years and much lower than the national youth rate.
“Our jobs data is a testament to Western Australia’s safe handling of the pandemic and my Government’s stable and responsible budget management.
“It highlights that our economy has secured a soft landing, as planned, as WA has transitioned to living with COVID-19.”
