Hume’s jobless rate has dropped to 2.9%*, the sixth lowest rate in Australia. Neighbouring Macarthur has seen the second highest drop in unemployment across Australia, falling by 2.3% to 4.7%* during the March 2018 quarter.

Across most of Hume’s local government areas, unemployment numbers* have been falling consistently:

Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor said Hume’s economic growth was no accident.

“The Hume corridor is thriving. You can see new businesses opening, busy streets, more construction - all the hi-vis signs of growth,” Mr Taylor said.

“Strong businesses create jobs and give Australians opportunity to work, to save, to get ahead. There are now more than a million extra jobs than when we came to Government in 2013.

In a Jobs and Businesses booming brochure to Hume households this week, Mr Taylor highlights the industries with big numbers of intakes. Around Camden and Narellan 4,000 new retail jobs have been created in the past year.

Further south, construction and manufacturing are employing thousands of locals. In northern Hume, the healthcare and social work sectors have employed an extra four a half thousand people in the past year.

Narellan Town Centre beautician Carrin Casserly started with just four staff and now employs 30 people, many of them young women. “People are coming from everywhere to shop here,” Ms Casserly said.

Bannister poultry plant operator Eddie Wehbe said his business was at the start of a significant growth phase. “We will be looking to employ about 150 people at our food processing plant in Goulburn,” Mr Wehbe said.

*Sourced from Department of Jobs and Small Business, Small Area Labour Markets.