Unemployment across regional Victoria has dropped to a record low as the state leads the country, and Bendigo is among the top performers.
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Recent Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures show Victoria's regional unemployment rate fell to 2.8 per cent in August - down from the previous 2.9 per cent record - and remains the lowest in the nation.
This places the regional unemployment rate well below the national regional unemployment rate of 3.3 per cent, with New South Wales and Queensland both at 3.2 per cent and Western Australia at 3.5 per cent.
In August, Bendigo's unemployment rate was just 1.9 per cent, down from 3.1 per cent recorded in March.
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The recent figures were only bettered by the 1.1 per cent in Warrnambool and the south west region, while Geelong, La Trobe-Gippsland and Shepparton trail behind with 2.6, 2.7 and 2.8 per cent.
The historic result means there are now 742,100 regional Victorians in work, assisted by the creation of more than 600,000 new jobs by the state government since 2014.
Almost 80 per cent of these jobs are full-time roles.
Treasurer Tim Pallas said these latest figures were a positive sign for the state.
"The unemployment rate in regional Victoria continues to fall and lead the nation - and that reflects a positive outlook among businesses across the state," he said.
"Regional areas have shown the strength of their economies and communities throughout the pandemic and have rebounded strongly."
Official measures of economic success confirm Victoria's progress with the ABS reporting state final demand growth for 2021-22 is 40 per cent higher than the national average and is the fastest growing state economy in the country.
State final demand measures the total value of goods and services that are sold in a state to buyers.
The NAB monthly business survey released last week also showed the continued improvement of business conditions, with the survey index double the level it was 12 months ago.
Victoria also topped the most recent CommSec state of the states quarterly report, which highlighted Victoria's jobs success, buoyant retail trade and growth in construction activity.
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Lucy Williams
Journalist with an interest in telling regional and rural stories, and covering the diverse array of topics that matter to the people of Bendigo.
Journalist with an interest in telling regional and rural stories, and covering the diverse array of topics that matter to the people of Bendigo.
