Murraylands’ unemployment rate sneaks up from historic low

Unemployment in the Murraylands remains less of a problem than it used to be, despite the first increase in the jobless rate since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The unemployment rate in the Murray Bridge district increased to 4.4 per cent during the first quarter of this year, according to federal Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

It was 3.9% in the Mid Murray district and 3.3% in the Coorong in the March quarter.

Across all three Murraylands districts, that meant about 700 people were looking for work.

That was about 170 more than last year, despite the region’s workforce shrinking due to working-age people retiring or leaving the region.

The department’s estimates are based on a combination of Centrelink records, workforce surveys and Australian Bureau of Statistics population data.

The overall South Australian unemployment rate was around the same ball park at last count, according to the ABS: 4.4%.

Acting state Treasurer Andrea Michaels gave an optimistic outlook when the latest state figures came out a few weeks ago.

“More South Australians than ever before now have work,” she said.

“Thousands more jobs have been created for South Australians and the ABS data demonstrates the strength of our state’s economy.”

However, state opposition finance spokeswoman Heidi Girolamo argued that a 4.4% unemployment rate was “grim”.

“South Australians have every right to feel frustrated by current economic conditions,” she said.