Melbourne, SE Qld lead way for new jobs figures

Parts of Victoria and Queensland are leading the charge for new jobs being created, figures show.

Analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics labour data show Melbourne and southeast Queensland had the greatest increase in employment in the year to August.

The statistical area of West Melbourne had the largest growth in the 12-month period at 5.5 per cent, followed by inner Melbourne at 5.4 per cent.

Ipswich, west of Brisbane, was next on the list, growing by 5..2 per cent, followed by Queensland's Logan-Beaudesert region at 5.2 per cent and the Gold Coast at five per cent.

Sydney's northern beaches and Sutherland Shire had the lowest unemployment rates for the same year to August, coming in at 2.3 per cent and 2.4 per cent respectively.

The areas had an unemployment rate nearly two percentage lower than the national figure of 4.1 per cent for August.

Warrnambool in Victoria, inner Perth and Sydney's eastern suburbs rounded out the top five for the lowest unemployment rate, all at 2.7 per cent.

Economists are tipping for the unemployment rate to rise in coming months, which has been driven by supply, before stabilising to about 4.5 per cent in 2025.

Labour market figures for September 2024 are due to be released on Thursday.

Data from the bureau showed 263,000 net jobs had been created in NSW between the past federal election in May 2022 and August 2024, with 152,000 of those being full-time positions.

Of those, Sydney had 231,000 jobs created while there were 76,400 for the rest of the state.

Victoria had 310,000 net jobs created, with 227,000 being full time, while of Queensland's 192,400 new net-jobs, 107,100 were full time.

Employment Minister Murray Watt said the labour figures were reassuring.

"It's great to see a large portion of the jobs growth is in full-time work, helping to deliver secure career opportunities for Australians," he said.

"We see strong and sustainable wages growth as a key part of helping with cost-of-living challenges, helping people earn more every week."