50 years ago

The Express, April 23, 1976

School leavers unemployed

up 83%

Unemployment in the Latrobe Valley has jumped. Last year at this time, there were 1180 people registered as such at the Morwell Commonwealth Employment Office. This year, the number has skyrocketed to 1998.

The Morwell office covers the shires of Alberton, Morwell, Traralgon, Mirboo, Moe City, Traralgon City and Yallourn works area. The number of adult males unemployed is currently 746 and females 213. Junior males unemployed number 474, and junior females 565. Of these juniors, 125 boys are school leavers and 181 girls. Last year there were 83 male 119 female school leavers registered as unemployed.

Commonwealth employment manager at the Morwell office Mr Terry Walsh said yesterday the situation was “very bad”. “There are very limited employment opportunities for young people in the Latrobe Valley, that’s a fact”. “If school leavers want work they go to Melbourne”. Mr Walsh said it was interesting to note there were 55 unfilled job vacancies despite this.

30 years ago

The Express, April 22, 1996

Small fall predicted for Moe population

MOE’s population is expected to fall by up to 400 over the next decade, with the greatest population shift in the 30-40 year age bracket. According to the Moe People Together report compiled by the FRAC, research officer Hayden Brown says this is due to social conditions, that also predict a loss of 628 people over a wider 30 year period – based on data concerning business, welfare recipients, education, families, housing in crime in the former Shire of Narracan. In the 10 years between 1985 and 1995, Moe’s unemployment rate for all ages has doubled from six to 12 per cent. The report also reveals a quarter of the residents in Moe are dependent on some form of pension, compared to 22 per cent of the rest of the Valley, while the statewide figure is 20.

10 years ago

The Express, April 21, 1998

Shop front chaos

LUCK was on an elderly driver’s side who walked away unscathed after crashing his Ford Fiesta into a vacant Commercial Road shop in Morwell yesterday. The 88-year-old had just visited an ATM when he veered into the former Casa Divina shopfront around 9am. Aidan McConville witnessed and was one of the first on the scene. “I turned off the car’s ignition so it wouldn’t catch fire; I’m just glad the man is okay”, he said. The driver would not be charged, but police say his licence would be reviewed.