Jobs are booming in Western Sydney, with new data revealing unemployment in the region has dropped to its lowest rate in almost 10 years.
Figures released today by the ABS show Western Sydney’s unemployment rate has plummeted to 5.2 per cent, while more than 57,000 jobs have been added in the last 12 months.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the figures demonstrated the Government’s strategy of boosting jobs in Western Sydney was paying off.
“Western Sydney’s star is certainly continuing to rise with these figures showing a phenomenal 57,500 jobs have been added in the last year alone,” he said.
“To put this into perspective, that is more jobs created in Western Sydney than the entire states of Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania combined.
New figures also showed a 5 per cent jump in youth employment in Western Sydney over the same period.
The unemployment rate for young people has also fallen to its lowest level in more than 18 years.
Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the Government has added almost as many jobs in 12 months as Labor did in their last four years in office.
“When Western Sydney wins everyone benefits, and this Government is dedicated to making Western Sydney the place where people want to live and work,” Mr Ayres said.
“We are creating the jobs of the future and it’s paying off – in the last year alone we’ve increased the number of jobs for young people by 5 percent; this is just the beginning.
Mr Perrottet pointed to the impact the Government’s huge infrastructure agenda was having on employment growth, particularly in Western Sydney.
“Jobs in the construction industry have grown to historic highs, climbing nearly 9 per cent in the last year, with much of the construction taking place in Sydney’s west,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Today’s data is further evidence that our infrastructure agenda and economic reforms are having a real impact on the people of Western Sydney.”