HUNTER residents are opting for full-time employment at faster rates than previous years, but unemployment across the region continues to grow.
The latest ABS regional monthly employment figures show full-time roles grew by 4,400 positions in August. In September, that number surpassed 10,000.
Business Hunter chief executive Bob Hawes told the Newcastle Herald many people who were previously in part-time or casual position were taking on bigger roles due to the cost of living.
"The growth in the latest figures, resulting from a spike in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, demonstrates people are seeking security to make sure they are best equipped to meet rising costs of living that we are experiencing," Mr Hawes said.
But the broader Hunter workforce size is not moving "much at all", suggesting part-time roles may be converted to full-time at increasing rates, rather than more people entering the workforce. Unemployment across the region is increasing.
In the Hunter Valley, the monthly unemployment rate jumped from 2.3 per cent in August to 3.5 per cent in September. Newcastle and Lake Macquarie figures went up by .1 per cent, to 3.6 per cent, over the same period.
This combination means demand for workers - particularly in casual positions - remains strong. Mr Hawes said part-time employment sagged across the region by around 14,000 roles. About 7,000 jobs were unfilled in the Hunter last month, according to the Jobs and Skills Australia Internet Vacancy Index.
"There is absolutely no doubt businesses are still looking for people on a casual and part-time basis," Mr Hawes said. "This continues to buck the trend in other cities which have been witnessing a decline in the number of job ads as the economic slowdown begins to bite."
The tight Hunter housing market remains a key issue in filling Newcastle and Lake Macquarie job vacancies. Unemployment has risen most in the Hunter Valley. For many people in the valley, it is not possible to travel to the city for work.
"There might be people from the Hunter Valley that are looking for work down in the eastern areas where there tends to be more job diversity, but because of constraints around travel or the fact they can't find a rental at a price they can afford, they're not really making the move," Mr Hawes said.
"We know from businesses that are offering people roles, there is often this mismatch."
