Labour Force figures recently released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that in December 2024, employment in the South-East region of Perth (SA4) increased by 6 per cent compared to the previous year.
The data also revealed a decrease in unemployment for the Perth–South East region, with 11,500 unemployed people (modelled estimate) in December 2024, down from 14,200 in December 2023.
Full-time workers accounted for approximately 70 per cent of all employed individuals by the end of December 2024, consistent with the figure from December 2023.
Federal Member for Swan, Zaneta Mascarenhas, whose electorate makes up a large portion of the South-East Perth region, said she believes Labor’s policies to drive job growth are delivering the positive results.
“The increase in employment by nearly 6 per cent is a fantastic result, highlighting strong economic growth and job creation in Swan and surrounding South-East region of Perth,” Ms Mascarenhas said.
“The drop in unemployment from 14,200 to 11,500 within a year is a significant achievement. Fewer people out of work means more stability for families and communities and helps with cost-of-living pressures.”
Nationally, Australia’s official unemployment rate rose to 4.0 per cent in December, up from 3.9 per cent in November, still below the 4.3 per cent forecast by the Reserve Bank.
At the same time, there were 56,300 more people employed nationally compared to the previous month.
However, some economists have suggested that the increase in employment may be skewed by seasonal Christmas hiring.
