THE migration of workers to and from the Logan City Council (LCC) region is just one of the issues being tackled by the new Logan Jobs website, launched this week.
According to a LCC statement, approximately 30,000 people leave Logan City every day for work, only to be replaced by about 28,000 commuters heading into the region from outside the local government area.
Of the 72,745 people employed in Logan City, just 36 per cent of their positions are filled by Logan City residents.
The LCC initiative, titled ‘Logan Jobs’, is aimed at increasing local job opportunities for residents, but also easing traffic on the M1 and Logan motorways, particularly during peak commuting periods.
It’s described as a one-stop-shop for residents seeking work closer to home, but also for Logan City employers keen to fill vacant positions with job-ready applicants.
Site membership is free and applicants are able to access social media and email updates about the latest available positions, while employers can upload their job advertisements free of charge.
Snapshot of local employment
The LCC statement identified the region’s key employment sectors as retail; health care and social assistance; manufacturing; education and training; construction, and transport and logistics, although the site will not be limited to positions in those categories.
The Australian Bureau of statistics 2011 census results lists manufacturing, retail and construction as the main industries employing Logan City’s residents, with manufacturing employing around 13pc, and retail and construction both recording around 11pc.
Healthcare and social assistance industries employ around 10.6pc of Logan City residents who are in work.
Transport, postal and warehousing industries have approximately 7.2pc of Logan City workers on their books, while education and training accounts for about 6.4pc.
The region’s smallest employment sector is agriculture, forestry and fishing, employing just 1pc of locals.
Lifestyle benefits
More local job opportunities is for commuters living the southern region of the LCC area is great news, according to Cr Trevina Schwarz.
“People who work close to home have a greater sense of belonging in their community,” she said.
“They spend less time in traffic, which in turn makes them healthier and happier; and they get to spend more time at home with family and friends pursuing the things in life they enjoy.”
According to Ms Schwarz, satisfied employees are more likely to be loyal, which assists in diminishing the financial impacts of high staff turnover.
For employers seeking staff in the LCC region, Ms Schwarz believes the benefits are significant, including a dramatic reduction in relocation costs.
“Local people are connected to local communities and spread word of mouth to promote local businesses,” she said.
“They feel a sense of pride when working within their community.”
Logan Jobs is now live at loganjobs.com.au.
