By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
THE number of unemployed people in Geelong has risen almost 25 per cent even though the jobless rate remains steady, according to the latest Economic Indicators Bulletin.
The region has 12,100 unemployed as at June 2013 according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures quoted in the bulletin.
This is the highest number of jobless in the region since the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-2009 when 13,200 were looking for jobs.
It represents a 24.7 per cent increase over the 2012-2013 jobless number of 9700.
The bulletin estimates the Geelong workforce at 120,096 with the City’s unemployment rate at 6.9 per cent.
Surf Coast, Queenscliffe and Golden Plains municipalities all registered unemployment rate increases of 0.6 per cent whole Geelong increased by one per cent.
The number of people claiming the Centrelink unemployment allowance has also climbed from 8312 in 2008-2009 to 11,319 last year.
Dole recipients rose 21.5 per cent from last year.
KPMG demographer Bernard Salt said the figures most likely were related to the region’s growing population.
“With population growth you have more workers but you also have an extra proportion of the population contributing to the unemployment figures,” Mr Salt said.
“So the rate as a percentage remains steady while the actual numbers are rising as a consequence.
“Geelong is a strong lifestyle destination so it’s no surprise there are some people who are just not getting jobs.”
Mr Salt said the trend needed to be viewed over a full year to be sure of what was happening.
“Even at seven per cent Geelong is a long way from 25 years ago when it was 11 and 12 per cent.
“In the broader scheme of things this generation ain’t seen nothing compared to early 1990s.”
