Jobs recovery sluggish in Ballarat

It is also in sharp contrast to the state's other regional centres, including Bendigo and Geelong, where the number of people in work is booming - even compared to pre-pandemic levels.

That is according to the latest detailed regional statistics, which were published late last week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. In Ballarat, the positive news is the total number of people in work in the city rose last month, reaching 81,900 in April - the first month since the federal JobKeeper support was removed.

The areas relate to the Ballarat SA4 statistical area - which is significantly wider than the Ballarat local government area - with a total population of 167,552 .

More worryingly, the total number of unemployed people in the region is significantly up - both in the short-term month to month statistics and in the longer rolling averages over 12 months.

The average unemployment rate over the past year currently stands at 6.5 per cent in Ballarat, compared to five per cent in Bendigo and 4.2 per cent in Geelong. On a month by month basis, Ballarat's total labour force - including those in work and those not employed - rose sharply in April.

The unemployment rate did too - in particular for men, although the ABS figures come with the caveat the monthly "estimate is subject to sampling variability too high for most practical purposes."

The data does not reflect the impact of the new lockdown.

While the rest of Victoria - the area outside greater Melbourne - was one of the few places in Australia to register a dip in the unemployment rate, the trend was not mirrored in Ballarat.

With the construction industry in Ballarat city hitting record levels, the figures indicate the recovery is not spreading across to other industries, a point made by Dr Alex Millmow, an associate professor in economics at Federation University.

"The figures don't correlate with the property boom that is supposed to be happening in Ballarat," Dr Millmow said. "It was the Geelong numbers I found staggering. The Ballarat numbers are a bit disappointing. [Ballarat] is facing a situation where [it is] not riding the regional jobs boom you read about.

"I don't know what to make of it. Why don't we have a labour force jobs boom like in Geelong?"

The workforce participation rate for women in Ballarat stands at an average 54.5 per cent over 12 months, significantly lower than in Bendigo (58.5) and Geelong (61 per cent). The Courier has previously reported the female workforce in Ballarat has felt a much greater impact from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.

Last week, federal MP Catherine King highlighted a decline in the number of apprentices in her Ballarat electorate, with numbers falling by more than 30 per cent since 2013.

Michael Poulton, the chief executive of the Committee for Ballarat, said the Labour force data was concerning.

"We've got a higher unemployment rate, we've got a lower employment rate by population and we've got a lower participation rate.

"I think you have to be [concerned]. If you compare ourselves to Geelong and Bendigo and also the rest of the state, we're soft."

However, he said there was no reason "to hit the panic button yet".

"We know there are employers looking for skills, we know there are job vacancies. [The figures] shouldn't deflect from the fact that anecdotally there is a lot of energy in our community and real optimism ahead."

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