Melbourne’s west has bucked the youth unemployment trend by recording a drop of almost 3 per cent.
Australia Bureau of Statistics figures show youth unemployment rates in the region, which includes the Brimbank, Melton, Wyndham, Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay council areas, dropped from a 12-month average of 16.4 per cent in July, 2013, to 13.5 per cent this July.
However, the Brotherhood of St Lawrence said it had analysed the ABS’s Victorian figures for ages 15 to 24 and found there had been a rise in jobless youth numbers in most regions.
The organisation found the average unemployment rate in the age range in the year to July was
13.8 per cent – up from 12.3 per cent a year earlier.
Michael Wasley, general manager of jobs search company Matchworks, said it was likely youth unemployment in Wyndham had fallen as a result of population changes, with the raw numbers of youth unemployed remaining stable. “We still have high numbers of job seekers on our books.”
Mr Wasley said young people looking for work could boost their prospects by showing prospective employers they had good communication skills and a good work ethic.
“Employers aren’t necessarily looking for someone with the qualifications to do a job but rather someone who can do what they’re asked to do.”
