The number of people in Wagga claiming unemployment payments from Centrelink has returned to pre-pandemic levels just under two years since COVID-19 restrictions were first imposed.
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Federal Department of Social Services figures show between 2157 and 2237 people in Wagga per month claimed Newstart Allowance payments in the half-year before COVID-19 reached Australia.
The same figures now show that 2165 people in Wagga claimed JobSeeker payments during March this year, down from a peak of 3750 during May 2020.
JobSeeker replaced Newstart Allowance as Centrelink's main unemployment payment early in the pandemic.
Wagga mayor Dallas Tout said the figures were an "encouraging sign" for the city and also for the surrounding region, which was on track to soon reduce JobSeeker numbers to pre-pandemic levels.
"It will be great when we get to those pre-pandemic levels across the region as a whole, not just in Wagga," he said.
"I also look forward to seeing the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirm we are heading in this direction.
"It does show the resilience of this city and the region as a whole, that there is a lot of growth happening and that resilience has allowed us to bounce back with jobs for people."
Griffith and Tumut had reduced their unemployment to below December 2019 levels but across the Riverina there were still 4897 people on JobSeeker, equal to 254 more than before COVID-19.
Wagga NSW MP Joe McGirr said the city had generated a lot of jobs through economic recovery but now faced a complex situation and needed to make sure the growth continued.
"Businesses are crying out for labour, which is a constraint on growth," he said.
"We haven't had immigration at levels anywhere near pre-COVID. I think immigration will resume and that will be important for getting labour and continuing to have the economy grow."
Dr McGirr called for more investment in developing skills in the workforce to meet businesses' needs.
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