Post-Census updates
JobSeeker recipients
About this topic
This page tracks JobSeeker and Youth Allowance (other) recipients for Ballarat (C) at SA2 level. It provides a more current signal of labour-market stress and socio-economic pressure than Census-only views.
The current comparison uses January 2026 against June 2023. Rates are calculated against the available ERP 15-64 population for each period.
Related topics
Key insight
In January 2026, 6,022 people in Ballarat (C) were receiving JobSeeker or Youth Allowance (other), equal to 8.0% of the working-age population, compared with 4,555 (6.2%) in June 2023. Sebastopol - Redan had the highest current rate and Buninyong (part) the lowest.
6,022
Recipients January 2026
8.0% of 15-64 population
+1,467
Change since June 2023
6.2% to 8.0%
12.9%
Highest SA2 rate
Sebastopol - Redan
4.4%
Lowest SA2 rate
Buninyong (part)
Chart view
Recipients by SA2
Current rate on the bar, comparison rate as the marker. Sorted by current rate.
Sebastopol - Redan
12.9%
10.3%
Wendouree - Miners Rest
11.8%
9.2%
Avoca (part)
10.3%
8.8%
Ballarat East - Warrenheip (part)
10.1%
8.2%
Canadian - Mount Clear
8.4%
6.9%
Beaufort (part)
8.2%
6.0%
Delacombe
7.6%
4.7%
Creswick - Clunes (part)
7.4%
6.3%
Ballarat
7.2%
5.3%
Ballarat North - Invermay (part)
5.5%
4.8%
Gordon (Vic.) (part)
4.6%
3.7%
Alfredton
4.5%
3.1%
Buninyong (part)
4.4%
3.2%
Data table
JobSeeker rates by SA2
Download recipient counts and rates for the current and comparison months.
| SA2 | January 2026 recipients | January 2026 rate | June 2023 recipients | June 2023 rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sebastopol - Redan | 1,030 | 12.9% | 830 | 10.3% |
| Wendouree - Miners Rest | 1,130 | 11.8% | 875 | 9.2% |
| Avoca (part) | 4 | 10.3% | 3 | 8.8% |
| Ballarat East - Warrenheip (part) | 605 | 10.1% | 486 | 8.2% |
| Canadian - Mount Clear | 675 | 8.4% | 555 | 6.9% |
| Beaufort (part) | 14 | 8.2% | 10 | 6.0% |
| Delacombe | 705 | 7.6% | 395 | 4.7% |
| Creswick - Clunes (part) | 52 | 7.4% | 45 | 6.3% |
| Ballarat | 520 | 7.2% | 385 | 5.3% |
| Ballarat North - Invermay (part) | 508 | 5.5% | 439 | 4.8% |
| Gordon (Vic.) (part) | 14 | 4.6% | 11 | 3.7% |
| Alfredton | 570 | 4.5% | 380 | 3.1% |
| Buninyong (part) | 197 | 4.4% | 143 | 3.2% |