The region derives most of its wealth from healthy mining and manufacturing sectors. 
Labour Market
Quarterly unemployment rate
Labour force by Local Government
| Sub-region /
LGA |
Quarterly unemployment rate (%) | Total labour force | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Dec 2016 | Mar 2017 |
June 2017 | Sept 2017 | Dec 2017 | Dec 2017 |
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| Preston region | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bunbury | 6.7 |
6.7 |
6.5 | 6.8 | 7.7 | 17,991 |
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| Capel | 3.1 |
3.2 |
3.2 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 9,773 |
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| Collie | 7.2 |
7.2 |
7.1 | 7.6 | 8.6 | 4,643 |
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| Dardanup | 2.9 |
3.0 |
2.9 |
3.2 | 3.5 | 8,229 |
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| Donnybrook-Balingup | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 3,142 |
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| Harvey | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 14,802 |
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| Vasse region | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Augusta-Margaret River | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 8,289 |
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| Busselton | 3.8 |
3.9 |
3.8 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 19,849 | ||||||||||||||||
| Blackwood region | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boyup Brook | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.0 |
4.6 | 893 |
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| Bridgetown-Greenbushes | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.0 |
4.5 | 2,429 |
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| Manjimup | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 5,147 |
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| Nannup | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 704 |
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| TOTAL SOUTH WEST | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 95,891 |
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Source Department of Employment, Small Area Labour Markets (smoothed data series). |
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