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 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sept 2016 | Dec 2016 | Mar 2017 |
June 2017 | Sept 2017 | Sept 2017 |
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| Preston region | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bunbury | 6.1 | 6.9 |
6.9 |
6.6 | 6.8 | 17,506 |
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| Capel | 2.8 | 3.2 |
3.3 |
3.3 | 3.5 | 9,510 |
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| Collie | 6.7 | 7.4 |
7.4 |
7.2 | 7.6 | 4,516 |
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| Dardanup | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 8,007 |
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| Donnybrook-Balingup | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3,058 |
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| Harvey | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 14,402 |
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| Vasse region | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Augusta-Margaret River | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 8,066 |
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| Busselton | 3.5 | 3.9 |
3.9 |
3.9 | 4.0 | 19,315 | |||||||||||||||
| Blackwood region | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Boyup Brook | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 869 |
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| Bridgetown-Greenbushes | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 2,364 |
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| Manjimup | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 5,009 |
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| Nannup | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 686 |
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| TOTAL SOUTH WEST | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 93,308 |
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Source Department of Employment, Small Area Labour Markets Sept Qtr 2017 (smoothed data series). |
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