SENATOR DEAN SMITH
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE SHADOW TREASURER
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE COST OF LIVING
LIBERAL SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA
24 April 2026
PERTH YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RISING AS COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS RAGES
New analysis of data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed a rise in youth unemployment across Western Australia, with young people in Perth increasingly struggling to find work as a result of the Albanese Government’s economic mismanagement.
The analysis was commissioned by Opposition cost of living spokesman Senator Dean Smith from the Parliamentary Library.
The latest ABS Labour Force data confirms Western Australia’s youth unemployment rate has climbed from 8.4 per cent in February 2025 to 9.6 per cent in February 2026 – a significantly sharper increase than the national rise over the same period.
In real terms, it means around 4,200 more young Western Australians are now unemployed compared to a year ago.
In Greater Perth, youth unemployment has jumped from the low levels seen in 2023 – around 8.2 per cent – to 9.4 per cent in early 2026, although it has decreased slightly since peaking above 10 per cent during 2024.
At the same time, more young people are entering the workforce, but fewer are finding jobs.
The number of unemployed young people in Greater Perth has increased by approximately 2,400 over the past year on an annual average basis, even as participation has grown.
This points to a labour market that is becoming increasingly difficult for young people to enter, particularly in sectors most exposed to household spending pressures.
Across the economy, businesses are facing rising input costs, higher energy bills, increased borrowing costs, and declining consumer confidence.
All of this is flowing through to hiring decisions.
Entry-level and part-time roles, critical to young people trying to get a start, are often the first to be cut or scaled back when conditions tighten.
The data shows that while youth unemployment nationally has edged higher, Western Australia has experienced one of the most pronounced deteriorations.
This comes at a time when Western Australian households are already facing significant cost pressures, with rising rents, higher grocery bills, and elevated fuel prices putting additional strain on budgets.
The result is a compounding effect: fewer job opportunities for young people, alongside increasing financial pressure at home.
Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith
“The message from this data is clear: young Western Australians are going backwards under Anthony Albanese and Labor.”
“After improving through 2023, youth unemployment in Perth has risen again – meaning thousands more young people are now out of work.”
“In just one year, we’ve seen around 4,200 more young Western Australians unemployed.”
“It is made all the worse by the fact that, in Perth, more young people are looking for work but more are also being locked out of the workforce.”
“This needs to be a wake up call for the Albanese Government – Western Australia should be leading the nation, not experiencing one of the sharpest rises in youth unemployment anywhere in the country.”