Inverell Shire’s unemployment rate has not budged from the 10 per cent mark in the latest Australian Department of Employment report.
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The June 2016 quarter returns show a slight improvement with a rate of 10 per cent from 10.8 in the previous quarter. However, the number from the most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics report is nearly double the national rate of 5.9 percent and a NSW average of 5.4 per cent.
Inverell mayor Paul Harmon could not point to one particular reason for the rate. “It’s a difficult one,” he said.
“I don’t know that there’s any one thing in particular you can put your finger on, or whether it’s just a number of factors that is inherent to lots of rural communities.”
The shire is in the shadow of neighbouring councils Gwydir (6.8 percent), Moree (9.6 percent), Armidale (7.5 per cent) and Goondiwindi, QLD, which enjoys an enviable 3.0 per cent. Only neighbours Tenterfield (10.5 per cent) and Glen Innes (11.6 per cent) are higher.
The January report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported an average 18.1 per cent youth (ages 15-24) unemployment across the New England, including Inverell. Cr Harmon said youth unemployment continues to be an issue in the shire.
Obviously one of the things we struggle with is that 20 through to the 30s with meaningful employment, with long-term career options for our community.
- Inverell mayor Paul Harmon
“Obviously one of the things we struggle with is that 20 through to the 30s with meaningful employment, with long-term career options for our community,” Cr Harmon said.
He added people moving to Inverell for better access to services, might affect the figures, tipping more people into the job market.
The symbiosis of regional pockets dependent upon agricultural success, and councils with regional service towns like Inverell could play a factor in chronic unemployment.
“Certainly it’s always a concern with boom and bust business cycles,” Cr Harmon said.
“And when a business closes it is very difficult then, for the community to recover because, A- you’ve lost some form of a service, and B-you’ve got people out of work and back into the work force, looking for jobs.”
But Cr Harmon said backing any business for growth alone is also not on council’s agenda.
“Council is very mindful, when you’re looking at development; you just don’t want development for development’s sake; you actually have to have good development,” he said.
“If somebody comes to us, and looks to see establishing a business, expanding a business, we look at what employment opportunities that can create for our community.”
