FOOTSCRAY’S dole queue has grown by almost 21 per cent since June 2008 as the global financial crisis takes its toll on jobs in the West.

An extra 251 job seekers are now receiving unemployment benefits from Footscray’s Centrelink office – with numbers likely to grow in coming months.

The Footscray office experienced a 5.4 per cent increase in dole recipients from January to February alone, pushing the figure up to 1448 recipients.

But the numbers still read significantly better than in February 2004, when 2388 Footscray residents were receiving some form of income support form the Government due to unemployment.

The figures come a month after the Employment Vulnerability Index, which named Braybrook as one of 100 Victorian suburbs with a high-risk of unemployment during the global financial crisis.

Maidstone was given a medium to high risk assessment, while Footscray, Maribyrnong, Seddon, South Kingsville, Yarraville and West Footscray were given a medium to low risk of job losses.

“It’s a very difficult time to be job searching, not just because there are fewer vacancies around but because there’s a lot more fear attached to the worsening economy,” Kirrilee Trist from the Salvation Army’s Employment Plus program said.

“It is important to remember that there are some job vacancies still around. In Australia the jobs market hasn’t frozen – it’s slowed, but it hasn’t frozen like it has in the US or the UK.”

Ms Trist said it was important for job searchers to use all the available resources – including Footscray’s Employment Plus centre – to make themselves competitive in the job market.

LeadWest CEO Anton Mayer called on all job seekers to consider going back to school or learn another trade and increase their skills so that they would be better placed to find jobs when the economy improves.

He said it was important job seekers did all they could to make sure their family could keep their heads above water during the financial crisis.

“If one door closes in one area then maybe it is important to rethink the skills so other doors can open.”

He said the ever-growing dole queue was a concern for the West.

“It impacts on people’s hopes and aspirations,” he said.

Maribyrnong City Council mayor Michael Clarke said the number of people applying for unemployment benefits was not wholly unexpected, but was confident the current stimulus package and future packages would help to “future-proof” the municipality.

Cr Clarke said low interest rates and available land in the West could see a housing resurgence tilt the economy in the other direction.

“Purchasing a house is very affordable, and in that context, whereas people might be renting, we might see a lot more people wishing to purchase a house and that will drive the economy very significantly back into the black.”

Cr Clarke is currently in talks with Citizen of the Year and former mayor Fred Madden about traineeship opportunities for youths.

“We have strong commitment to try to ensure we don’t have a chronic level of unemployment with our young people.”