JOBS in the health and social service sectors have driven Melbourne’s employment boom in the past decade.
Analysis of the 2016 Census by SGS Economics and Planning consultants shows that more than 2 million jobs now existed in the greater Melbourne area.
In Inner Melbourne alone, 124,000 jobs were created in the past five years, thanks to growth in the financial, insurance and professional services.
The report also confirmed the two-speed economy dividing the capitals and the regions.
Since 2011 more than 900,000 jobs were created in the metropolitan regions of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
But only 5400 more jobs emerged in the rest of Australia.
SGS principal Terry Rawnsley said the numbers reinforced the weakness in the jobs market across many regional areas.
“While the big cities, in particular Sydney and Melbourne, are booming,” Mr Rawnsley said.
Australia’s ageing population, particularly work within the residential aged care sector, drove the jobs growth, Mr Rawnsley said the continued concentration of employment generated economic benefits but was also placing strain on the transport network.
“These areas are already experiencing road and rail traffic congestion, which will only worsen if future population and employment growth is not accommodated appropriately,’’ he said.
The jobs increase was slower in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth than Sydney and Melbourne. Health care, social services, education, training, accommodation and food services were the main generators of employment. But the impacts of the slowing of the mining boom was seen in Brisbane and Perth.
Victoria’s unemployment rate sits at 5.8 percent, above the national average of 5.6 percent.
Source: heraldsun.com.au
