• Western Australia’s job market is the best performing of all States
• WA unemployment rate continues to fall, now the lowest of all States at 6.2 per cent
• 98.8 per cent of jobs lost during COVID-19 pandemic now recovered
• Latest statistics reflect the McGowan Government’s safe and strong management of COVID-19 and the State’s economy

Based on the December 2020 data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, it shows that Western Australia has the strongest performing jobs market of all states in the nation.

Underemployment has fell to its lowest level since June 2015 down to 7.7 percent with 33,200 fewer people underemployed than when the McGowan Government was elected.

The December data has shown an increase of 5,518 Western Australians in full time employment including 5,166 moving from part time to full time employment.

WA’s unemployment fell from 6.4 per cent in November 2020 to 6.2 per cent – the lowest of all States. Employment  has now increased by 102,056 people since May 2020, when the impact of COVID-19 restrictions peaked. This equates to 98.8 per cent of jobs lost due to the pandemic now being recovered. Importantly, youth unemployment in WA is the lowest of all States at 13.1 per cent in December 2020.

The national unemployment rate now stands at 6.6 per cent.

According to the report released by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, job opportunities in WA is expected to continue to rise, with internet job vacancies showing growth to the highest levels. Job vacancies grew by 2.4 per cent to 19,907 in December 2020, taking vacancies to 21.6 per cent above pre-COVID levels.

In December 2020, quarterly year-ended growth in the number of vacancies in WA was 26.2 per cent, the highest of all jurisdictions, and the strongest quarterly year ended growth for WA since June 2011.

Source: Link

Date published: 21 January 2021