By ANEEKA SIMONIS
CARDINIA Shire’s unemployment rates have jumped almost 10 per cent in the past year.
As of March this year, almost 3000 people within the shire were out of a job, up 9.5 per cent on last year, according to Department of Employment figures.
Of the extra 257 unemployed locals, more than half lived in Pakenham – recording a more than 12 per cent increase in overall joblessness over the 12-month period, bringing the total to 1899 jobseekers.
Emerald and Cockatoo were second worst hit, recording an 11.5 per cent increase in unemployment rates, followed by Kooweerup which had an 11.4 per cent bump in joblessness rates.
However, those in Beaconsfield and Officer seemed to have kept their jobs, recording no difference in jobless figures while those in the Bunyip and Garfield pushed their way into the jobs market, boosting employment rates by 6.7 per cent over the year.
It appears those living in Melbourne’s south-east are in the midst of a spiralling job crisis, recording a 7.2 per cent unemployment rate in June 2015 – up 1.1 per cent on the previous year.
Nearby in the City of Casey, unemployment rates jumped to 7.6 per cent, compared with 6.9 per cent this time last year, with 11,199 people out of work.
Doveton is the worst affected with an unemployment rate of 21.6 per cent this year, up from 20.1 per cent last year while Hampton Park had the highest number of jobseekers with 1399 out of work.
A department spokesperson described the region as “disadvantaged”, citing the level of unemployment as well-above the national recorded average at six per cent.
The concerning joblessness rate appears to be on the government’s radar, with a number of new employment offices having recently opened in the south-east.
Sarino Russo Job Access, awarded contracts under the Federal Government’s $5 billion Jobactive program, has opened 21 offices across the city including Pakenham, Cranbourne and Springvale to help find work for 50,000 Australian job seekers.
WISE Employment also opened a new site in Narre Warren while the Pakenham site also retained its contract as part of the multi-million dollar scheme that came into effect on 1 July.
In comparison to the troubled south-east, Victoria unemployment rates took a downward turn – reducing 0.6 per cent in July 2015.
