Unemployment rate falls in Wyndham

The unemployment rate has fallen 2.7 per cent from June 2021-22, according to the latest data released by the National Skills Commission.

According to the report, the number of unemployed residents dropped from 11,212 people to 7207 in the municipality.

Wyndham Community & Education Centre’s employment coordinator Jacinta Stafford said they were definitely seeing the demand for workers on the ground.

“We certainly have more employers now approaching us and seeking staff,” she said.

“We’ve definitely seen that shift especially in the last nine months.”

The centre provides up-skilling opportunities for candidates by providing support with career planning, getting a tax file, resume writing, purchasing required shoes and clothing, for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds as they enter the workforce.

“A lot of the candidates they’ve never worked before,” Ms Stafford said.

Ms Stafford said the candidates were previously mostly male based, but now the job seeker space is made up of mothers entering or returning to the workforce.

“What we’re left with are mothers wanting part-time work, or family hours,” she said.

“The candidates know it’s their market at the moment.”

Ms Stafford also shared the biggest challenge when attempting to connect job seekers with suitable work industries.

“Language is a big one, overcoming literacy in general and digital literacy,” she said.

“We’ve got a group of ladies we’re working closely with and they couldn’t access their emails properly, and it was preventing them from getting a job,” she said.

“Transport is always a big issue, in Wyndham we’re a massive municipality, our public transport isn’t amazing.”

Ms Stafford said “almost all” industries are seeking workers, including agriculture, warehouse and manufacturing, early education, administration and customer service roles.

“It’s great because it means there’s more people in the workforce, those vulnerable clients that are more complex are now able to [find a job],” she said.