Unemployment rate data is released monthly by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for the Geelong SA4 geographic level and quarterly by Jobs and Skills Australia for the smaller SA2 geographic level.
ABS unemployment rate - Geelong region
The ABS advises that their unemployment rate data should be adjusted to a twelve-month rolling average to smooth out volatility in the monthly data.
The twelve-month average unemployment rate to June 2024 for Geelong was 3.6 percent, an increase of 0.1 percentage points compared to the previous month and 1.0 points higher than the same month in 2023.
The twelve-month average unemployment rate to June 2024 for Geelong was 0.4 points lower than the Victorian unemployment rate (4.0%) and 0.2 points lower than the Australian unemployment rate (3.8%).
| |
Geelong (SA4)*
|
Victoria
|
Australia**
|
| Twelve-month average |
Unemployment rate
|
Change percentage points
|
Unemployment rate
|
Change percentage points
|
Unemployment rate
|
Change percentage points
|
| Latest month (June 2024) |
3.6%
|
+0.1
|
4.0%
|
+0.1
|
3.8%
|
0.0
|
| Previous month (May 2024) |
3.5% |
3.9% |
3.8% |
| Same month previous year (June 2023) |
2.6%
|
+1.0 |
3.7%
|
+0.3 |
3.5%
|
+0.3 |
Unemployment rate
(12-month rolling average)
Click to enlarge image
Youth unemployment rate (15–24 years)
The 12-month average youth unemployment rate to June 2024 for Geelong was 11.5 percent, an increase of 0.2 percentage points compared to the previous month, and 5.9 points higher than the same month in 2023.
The 12-month average youth unemployment rate to June 2024 for Geelong was 2.2 points higher than the Victorian youth unemployment rate (9.3 percent) and 2.7 points higher than the Australian rate (8.8 percent).
| |
Geelong (SA4)*
|
Victoria
|
Australia**
|
| Twelve-month average |
Unemployment rate
(15–24 years)
|
Change percentage points
|
Unemployment rate
(15–24 years)
|
Change percentage points
|
Unemployment rate
(15–24 years)
|
Change percentage points
|
Latest month (June 2024)
|
11.5%
|
+0.2
|
9.3%
|
-0.3
|
8.8%
|
-0.3
|
| Previous month (May 2024) |
11.3% |
9.6% |
9.1% |
| Same month previous year (June 2023) |
5.6%
|
+5.9 |
8.3%
|
+1.0 |
7.8%
|
+1.0 |
Youth unemployment rate
(12-month rolling average)
Click to enlarge image
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (Labourforce, Australia, Detailed).
Note: Unemployment rate data for Geelong, Victoria and Australia is based on ABS original data (sourced from survey respondents rather than trend or seasonally adjusted data).
*The Geelong SA4 area includes the City of Greater Geelong, Borough of Queenscliffe, Surf Coast Shire and the majority of the Golden Plains Shire. See Australian Bureau of Statistics maps and choose 2016 Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4).
**Data for Australia is sometimes revised from previously published data.
Small area quarterly unemployment rate
Jobs and Skills Australia has transitioned to ABS 2021 ASGS areas for the Small Area Labour Markets (SALM) data. The update included changes to SA2 areas in the Geelong region which has resulted in data breaks. The Borough of Queenscliffe estimates have also been impacted by the changes. There are now 18 small areas (SA2s) in Greater Geelong. Corio-Norlane has been split into Corio - Lovely Banks and Norlane, Grovedale has been split into Grovedale - Mount Duneed and Charlemont, and Ocean Grove - Barwon Heads has been split into Barwon Heads - Armstrong Creek and Ocean Grove. Smoothed unemployment rate data for these areas is available starting June 2024.
In the June 2024 quarter, the unemployment rate fell in North Geelong - Bell Park (-0.2 percentage points), remained the same in Point Lonsdale - Queenscliff and Newtown and rose in the remaining 9 unchanged small areas across Greater Geelong. The largest rises were in Lara and Geelong (+0.3 pts).
Compared to the same quarter last year, the unemployment rate rose in all but one of the unchanged small areas across Greater Geelong. Point Lonsdale - Queenscliff remained the same with the largest increases in the quarterly unemployment rate recorded in Newcomb - Moolap (+1.3 pts) and Geelong (+1.2 pts).
| Area (SA2)* |
Smoothed Unemployment Rate (%)
|
|
Previous quarter
(March 2024)
|
Latest quarter
(June 2024)
|
Quarterly change
(Mar 24 - June 2024)
|
Annual change
(June 23 – June 24)
|
| Barwon Heads - Armstrong Creek (NEW) |
-
|
1.5 |
- |
- |
| Belmont |
3.5 |
3.7 |
+0.2 |
+0.8 |
| Charlemont (NEW) |
- |
2.1 |
- |
- |
| Clifton Springs |
3.7 |
3.9 |
+0.2 |
+0.9 |
| Corio - Lovely Banks (NEW) |
- |
11.5 |
- |
- |
| Geelong |
4.4 |
4.7 |
+0.3 |
+1.2 |
| Geelong West - Hamlyn Heights |
2.9 |
3.0 |
+0.1 |
+0.5 |
| Grovedale - Mount Duneed (NEW) |
- |
2.5 |
- |
- |
| Highton |
1.8 |
2.0 |
+0.2 |
+0.7 |
| Lara |
3.0 |
3.3 |
+0.3 |
+0.8 |
| Leopold |
2.9 |
3.1 |
+0.2 |
+0.8 |
| Newcomb - Moolap |
7.3 |
7.4 |
+0.1 |
+1.3 |
| Newtown |
1.8 |
1.8 |
0.0 |
+0.3 |
| Norlane (NEW) |
- |
18.9 |
- |
- |
| North Geelong - Bell Park |
5.8 |
5.6 |
-0.2 |
+0.6 |
| Ocean Grove (NEW) |
- |
1.5 |
- |
- |
| Point Lonsdale - Queenscliff |
1.3 |
1.3 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
| Portarlington |
4.9 |
5.0 |
+0.1 |
+0.7 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Torquay |
1.2 |
1.2 |
0.0 |
+0.2 |
| Lorne - Anglesea |
1.4 |
1.5 |
+0.1 |
+0.3 |
| Winchelsea |
2.5 |
2.4 |
-0.1 |
+0.3 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Bannockburn |
2.2 |
2.3 |
+0.1 |
+0.8 |
| Golden Plains (South) |
2.6 |
2.9 |
+0.3 |
+0.9 |
| Golden Plains (North) |
4.6 |
4.4 |
-0.2 |
+1.9 |
| Smythes Creek |
2.3 |
2.2 |
-0.1 |
+0.3 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Colac |
2.2 |
2.4 |
+0.2 |
0.0 |
| Colac Surrounds |
1.0 |
1.1 |
+0.1 |
-0.1 |
| Otway |
1.4 |
1.4 |
0.0 |
-0.2 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| City of Greater Geelong (LGA) |
4.0 |
4.1 |
+0.1 |
+0.9 |
| Surf Coast Shire (LGA) |
1.4 |
1.5 |
+0.1 |
+1.0 |
| Borough of Queenscliffe (LGA) |
- |
1.3 |
- |
- |
| Golden Plains Shire (LGA) |
2.7 |
2.8 |
+0.1 |
+1.0 |
| Colac-Otway Shire (LGA) |
1.7 |
1.9 |
+0.2 |
0.0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| G21 region |
3.5 |
3.6 |
+0.1 |
+0.8 |
| Victoria |
3.8 |
4.0 |
+0.2 |
+0.3 |
Quarterly Unemployment Rate - Jobs and Skills Australia
Click to enlarge image
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia - Small Area Labour Markets.
Note: These unemployment rate estimates (excluding data for Victoria) are smoothed and averaged over four quarters to dampen the variability inherent in small area estimates.
Data series from December 2010. Figures revised each quarter. It is anticipated the September 2024 quarter data will be released in December 2024.
*See Australian Bureau of Statistics maps and choose 2021 Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2).
Source websites