Regional boom backed by jobs portal launch

NSW is officially Australia’s regional jobs powerhouse, adding more jobs in the last two years than all of Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania combined.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows the number of jobs in regional NSW rose 54,600 in the past 20 months – almost 39 per cent of all new jobs across the State.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the data showed the NSW Government’s regional investment was having a real impact.

“We have the strongest economy in the nation and our Government will ensure every community receives its fair share,” Ms Berejiklian said.

Welcoming the figures, Deputy Premier John Barilaro said they show the regions provide employment, housing and lifestyle opportunities for families.

“Our regions are prosperous and, I would argue, just as attractive as capital cities, if not more so,” added Mr Barilaro.

On the back of the ABS data, Mr Barilaro announced a new employment and skills portal that uses jobs vacancy data to identify where regional jobs are located.

The portal includes links to the NSW Government’s Smart and Skilled website where job seekers can find accredited training courses to help them develop their skills.

“This is a fantastic resource which uses big data to help families looking for a job or career change, and employers tap into new markets of workers,” said Mr Barilaro.

There have been 5,114 job advertisements listed across regional NSW in the past month.

Mr Barilaro said ongoing NSW Government funding in the bush would support communities in the future.

For more information, visit the Jobs Portal website.