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Local youth unemployment tops the charts

Geoff Helisma | Youth unemployment in the Coffs Harbour Grafton Labour Market Area (LBA) is the highest in the state. The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) July figures reveal that the unemployment rate for 15 to 24-year-olds is 22.5 per cent, in contrast to the state average of 10.3 per cent, which, in turn, is the nation’s second lowest youth unemployment rate, just behind the ACT’s 10.0 per cent. The LBA’s overall unemployment rate is 8.5 per cent, compared to NSW’s 4.7 per cent. There were 14,800 youths employed in July 2018, up from July 2017’s 12,600. Last week, NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said in a media release that NSW accounted for 98 per cent of the employment growth in Australia in the past month – creating 43,200 of the 44,000 new jobs. “Unemployment in NSW also fell by 0.2 percentage points to 4.7 per cent – the lowest rate of any state in the country,” he said. “When it comes to jobs growth, there is NSW and daylight.” He put the state’s achievement down to “our record infrastructure investment”. However, while there have been record investments by both state and federal governments in the Clarence Valley, finding a reason for the high unemployment anomaly is not forthcoming. Taking a swipe at the opposition, he said: “The biggest threat to our strong economy is the reckless incompetence of the Labor Party who want to cancel projects, increase taxes and slash nurses, teachers and police to pay for Foley’s M4 voter buy back scheme.” Meanwhile, the Labor Party’s shadow treasurer, Ryan Park, has targeted the Coffs Harbour Grafton area’s dismal figures. “When Labor left office in March 2011, youth unemployment in Coffs Harbour and Grafton was 9.8 per cent,” he said. “The revelation is an uncomfortable truth for the NSW Liberal Treasurer who boasted in a parliamentary hearing yesterday that ‘youth unemployment is the lowest it’s ever been’. Mr Park took aim at what government’s alleged “decimation of TAFE” its council amalgamations and the, “spending of $2 billion on a Sydney stadium”. “Labor has committed to spending 100 per cent of the Snowy Hydro proceeds for regional jobs, guaranteed 70 per cent of vocational training funding to TAFE, introduce regional nurse to patient ratios and pledged to re-regulate electricity to assist small business and households,” Mr Park said in his media release. On the positive side, from the government’s perspective, Mr Perrottet made the following points: Jobs for young people have risen by 37,700 over the past 12 months, more than all of Labor’s last decade in office; NSW’s youth unemployment rate is by far the lowest of any state and almost 3 per cent lower than the rest of Australia; Since coming to office in 2011, youth employment has increased by 72,900 in New South Wales, compared to a decline of 22,500 in the rest of Australia; and, Nearly half the increase in youth jobs have been full-time positions.