THE unemployment rate is soaring in suburbs north-east of Perth according to the latest labour force data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
While unemployment nationally is falling and is now at 4.8 per cent, in Perth’s north east it is at 7.3 per cent and in the south eastern suburbs it is 6.6 per cent and rising.
UnionsWA secretary Meredith Hammat called for a renewed focus on the creation of local jobs with decent standards of pay and conditions.
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READ NOW“According to this latest data, 29,600 West Australians in the north and south eastern suburbs are now unemployed,” she said.
“They face a daily struggle to make ends meet.
“As wages fail to keep pace with rising costs of living, people have less to spend in the local economy.
“High levels of insecure work act as a barrier to home ownership and confidence in our economy.
“Working people need secure jobs and fair pay so we can plan and live decent lives.”
Ms Hammat said flawed national workplace laws also needed to be addressed.
“In the recent disputes, including the current Perth bus dispute, employers have to threaten during bargaining to put its workforce onto much lower pay under Award conditions,” she said.
“Recently, companies have again started to call for increased use of temporary overseas labour to fill skill needs.
“We need to change the rules so working people have fair pay rises that stay ahead of living costs and more secure jobs.”
The youth unemployment rate in the NE is 14.7 per cent for 15 to 24-year-olds.