THE Tarneit electorate has the highest level of unemployment in Victoria, with new figures revealing the jobless rate rose by 2.5per cent between September 2008 and December 2011.
Federal government figures also show the neighbouring Altona electorate has the state’s third-highest level of unemployment.
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Unemployment in Altona, which takes in Point Cook and parts of Hobsons Bay, rose by almost 2per cent between September 2008 and December last year.
The figures, which were released by the state opposition, detail increases in unemployment in Victorian electorates with jobless rates higher than 6per cent.
In March this year, the unemployment rate for Wyndham was 7.5per cent, while the statewide rate was 5.8per cent.
Tarneit MP and opposition employment spokesman Tim Pallas said the rise in unemployment in his electorate, which includes Werribee, Hoppers Crossing and Tarneit, was due to a lack of local employment opportunities and government investment in skills training.
He said the data pointed to the need for the state government to urgently invest in the Werribee Employment Precinct to create more local jobs.
Altona MP Jill Hennessy described unemployment levels across the west as a “jobs crisis” brought on by government inaction.
She said recent manufacturing jobs losses, including the sacking of 350 workers at Toyota last month, would lead to higher unemployment rates.
“The manufacturing industry employs about 40,000 people in outer-western Melbourne. Those manufacturing jobs often support another two or three jobs in the local community.
“In the last 12 months about 3000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in outer-western Melbourne; the flow-on effect is massive.”
Matchworks general manager Michael Wasley said its Werribee employment office had faced a rise in the number of residents laid off from car manufacturing plants.
He said the agency had noted a trend in people being moved to temporary, casual or contract positions in the retail sector, reducing their regular employment hours.
Employment Minister Richard Dalla-Riva said the government had announced a strategy to help manufacturers become more productive and competitive and retain jobs.
