A year ago, employment prospects were grim for local people aged 15 to 24.

The most recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics have revealed the youth unemployment rate has plummeted in the region from 29.3 per cent to 10.1 per cent in one year, from September 2017 to September 2018.

From January the unemployment rate fell consistently until September, when the local unemployment rate had fallen just below the state average of 10.2 per cent.

September was the first time since May, 2015, when local youth unemployment statistics have been better than the state average.

Worrigee local Taylor Rodwell, 18, who works at Chooksy’s in Bomaderry started work at a young age, and has never had trouble finding work in the area.

She said the recent youth employment figures were heartening, and would likely encourage more of her peers to join the workforce.

“Those stats are really good, I’m kind of shocked,” she said.

“Youth unemployment is a really big issue still, there are a lot of people who have given up.

“If they know there’s a chance they can get a job, they’ll be more likely to try.”

Taylor noticed that young people from broken homes and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds suffered most when unemployment rates were high.

“When the youth unemployment rate was really high, it mainly affected the ones from disadvantaged families,” she said.

“The ones who come from a good home always seem to have a job.”