Western Australia's employment hits new record

• The number of Western Australians employed reached a record high of 1.57 million in August
• Employment grew by a further 0.9% (or 14,700 jobs) for the month, with full-time employment growing by 1.6% (or 17,600)
• More than a quarter of a million jobs have now been created since Labor came to office, including more than 160,000 added during its second term
• WA's population grew by 2.8 per cent over the year-to-March, the strongest of any jurisdiction

Western Australia's employment reached a new record high of 1.57 million in August, according to labour force data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.

Employment grew by a further 0.9 per cent (or 14,700 jobs) in August, led by growth in full‑time employment, which grew by 1.6 per cent or 17,600 jobs.

Significantly, more than a quarter of a million jobs have now been created since Labor came to office, with 257,000 new jobs since March 2017, including more than 160,000 added during Labor's second term.

WA's participation rate jumped to 69.3 per cent in August, up 0.7 per cent, the strongest participation rate of the States. More people entering the labour market saw the unemployment rate lift slightly to 3.8 per cent, remaining broadly in line with the national rate of 3.7 per cent.

WA's underemployment rate remained the lowest of the States at 5.9 per cent, compared to 6.6 per cent nationally.

ABS population data for the March quarter, also out today, showed WA's population grew by 2.8 per cent over the year-to-March to reach almost 2.9 million people.  WA recorded the strongest population growth in the past 12 months of all jurisdictions and above the national rate of 2.2 per cent. 

Comments attributed to Treasurer Rita Saffioti:

"The latest employment figures show Western Australia's economy continues to lead the nation.

"Two key achievements in August included employment reaching a new record high of 1.57 million, which is an incredible outcome.

"And secondly, more than a quarter of a million jobs have now been created since we came to office in 2017, a statistic we are very proud of.

"We're also continuing to see strong population growth with 78,000 more people calling Western Australia home compared with this time last year, and our population now nearing 2.9 million.

"It's clear that our strong economy and high quality but affordable standard of living makes Western Australia a desirable place to live and do business, and we continue to do everything we can to support and diversify our economy and create jobs for Western Australians."