The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics labour force estimates, released this week, puts the unployment rate for the Illawarra at 9.4 per cent – a massive change from 4.5 per cent unemployment last April.

The statewide unemployment rate for April is 5.8 per cent, according to the ABS.

The last time the Illawarra jobless rate was this high was in September 2012, when it was estimated at 9.6 per cent.

The rate has been steadily rising since the start of this year and means more than 14,200 people are looking for work in the region.

Unfortunately for the region’s workers in a number of fields, there are likely to be more job losses in the months ahead.

Mining and engineering companies including Sandvik and Industrial Galvinizers have either closed down or shed jobs in recent months, while the region’s coal miners have also been hit hard.

Just this week, it was revealed two Wollongong Coal bosses have quit, with more job cuts to its dramatically reduced workforce possible as the miner struggles to gain approval for its Russell Vale expansion, and at Illawarra Coal there will be 30 jobs lost from its Wollongong head office.

Likewise Endeavour Energy’s union has been told one in nine workers could be out of work, while at the University of Wollongong massive changes to some of its faculties and administrative staff have been flagged for months, with job cuts expected, however numbers and specific details have not been announced.

And, under a proposal announced by Fairfax Media on Thursday, the Illawarra Mercury’s editorial positions will be cut by half.

Labor’s regional development spokesman David Harris has raised concerns about the rise in the unemployment rates in the Illawarra and other regions, saying they were ‘‘unacceptably high’’.

In the Hunter Valley, unemployment hit 10.1 per cent in April, while in the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven the jobless rate was 9.6 per cent. The Coffs Harbour and Grafton region was at 9.3 per cent, while Newcastle and Lake Macquarie had 8.1 per cent unemployment.

“Unemployment rates in regional NSW continue to be unacceptably high and the latest jobs data provides more troubling evidence of the two-speed economy across our state,” Mr Harris said.

“If you’re a family in the Hunter, the Southern Highlands, the Central West or places like Kiama or Grafton, Mike Baird’s government would be starting to look pretty Sydney-centric and out of touch.”

Keira MP Ryan Park said he was pushing for the government to make it easier for sacked workers to retrain at TAFE. He also wanted Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian to bring infrastructure spending on projects funded by the port lease forward to the next financial year to stimulate more local jobs.

But parliamentary secretary for the Illawarra, Gareth Ward, rejected Labor’s claims, pointing to his government’s spending on roads and hospitals in the Illawarra as a sign of its commitment to the region.

‘‘These bring jobs to the region, not just in construction but in the longer term,’’ he said.

Mr Ward also noted the higher unemployment figures in recent months could be a sign there were more people actively seeking work in the Illawarra, which he said pointed to a stronger economy.

‘‘This figure on face value isn’t good, but there is another side of the coin, which is that when people start looking for work that previously weren’t in the labour market, the unemployment rate will reflect the deficit between those in work and those not in work,’’ he said.

‘‘Our region is probably most susceptible to structural unemployment – which occurs when different types of industries close down – because of the changing nature of manufacturing and the fact these people are coming back into the labour market and looking for work is a sign of increasing confidence. So I think the Illawarra’s best days are ahead.’’