More City of Greater Bendigo residents are unemployed than they were in 2011, a greater proportion of people are volunteering, and supermarkets have become one of the largest employers, the newest census data shows.
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On census night last August, 6.4 per cent of people reported being unemployed, compared to 5.2 per cent five years earlier.
The proportion of people in full-time employment has fallen, from 55.9 per cent to 53.2 per cent, while more people are in part-time work: 34.7 per cent of people work part time, compared to 32.7 in 2011.
The percentage of people who reported they were ‘away from work’ fell slightly between 2011 and 2016.
Paul Green, chief executive officer of Bendigo-based employment service CVGT Australia, said the rise in unemployment was unexpected, as it was not reflective of the company’s experience given the number of vacancies for apprentices it was trying to fill.
He said the opening of the new Bendigo Health hospital and the extensive refurbishment of St John of God, contracts awarded to Thales and the establishment of aged care facilities in recent years had also brought vibrancy to the city.
But the rise in part-time work came as less of a surprise, Mr Green said.
He believed this trend was largely driven by the hospitality industry, which by nature employed many on a casual or part-time basis and was an industry that had “grown exponentially in Bendigo, particularly over the past decade”.
Takeaway food services are among the top five employment industries in the city.
Hospitals remain the largest employer in the area, but while ‘school education’ was the second-biggest employment industry in 2011, it is now supermarkets and grocery stores.
Banking and primary education round out the remaining top employers.
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Mr Green said he believed one of the challenges facing Bendigo when it came to employment was the skills shortage in healthcare, particularly in the aged care sector.
He suggested there be a focus on re-skilling people out of work and directing them towards vacancies in these sectors.
A larger proportion of Greater Bendigo residents are now ‘professionals’, with 20.1 per cent of employed people aged 15 and older in such an occupation, up from 19.4 per cent in 2011.
Technicians and trade workers are still the second-largest occupation group, followed by clerical and administrative workers, community and personal service workers, labourers, managers, sales workers, and machinery operators and drivers.
More than 23 per cent of Greater Bendigo residents reported having undertaken voluntary work with an organisation or group in the previous 12 months, an increase on 21.5 per cent in 2011.
Nowadays, more people are driving to work: more than 70 per cent of people now drive, compared to 67.4 per cent five years previously, and a further 5.1 per cent travel as a passenger.
Almost 0.8 per cent choose to cycle to work, down from 0.9 per cent in 2011.
Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
