But the bad news is that the construction sector posted almost 10 per cent fewer jobs in 12 months to December last year, indicating a possible slow-down in the construction of new houses. 

Data provided by employment and recruitment site Seek.com showed the mining, resources and energy sector was the biggest contributor to the job ad growth last year in the region.

Of the 15 per cent growth, 2.1 per cent growth came from mining, resources and energy.

It was followed by the hospitality and tourism (two per cent), trade and services (two per cent), manufacturing transport and logistics (1.6 per cent), health care and medicine (1.4 per cent), education and training (1.4 per cent), community services development (1.3 per cent) and engineering (one per cent) sectors.

The government and defence sector also advertised more jobs, but its contribution to the total job growth was less than one per cent. 

SEEK ANZ managing director Kendra Banks said the 15.1 per cent job ad growth has come with an average advertised salary growth of 5.6 per cent in the region.

“We expect some of these industries to be driving growth throughout 2019, in particular healthcare and medical, and mining resources and energy sectors,” Ms Banks said.

Ron Maxwell, CEO of employment and training organisation VERTO, said the Regional Australia Institute is predicting 243,865 new jobs over the next three years in regional Australia.

“For a community like the Central West, that’s fantastic news,” Mr Maxwell said. 

“There's no doubt the Central West has become an attractive place to live, with its proximity to Sydney.

“There are projects being delivered across the Central West, such as the new healthcare facility in Orange and the Parkes Inland Railway, that will drive a surge in employment.” 

Bathurst Business Chamber president Angus Edwards says the growth reflects a positive sentiment about how businesses are performing in the region. 

“Bathurst is not affected by drought as other towns in the region are. Orange would be the same. We have a mix of different businesses and industries,” Mr Edwards said.

“Now the worst of the drought is behind us, people are hiring again.”

Mr Edwards said there are still difficulties with the economy because of uncertainties about the state and federal elections, and the international environment.

“I won’t say there is a boom and probably there is a bit more pain before all the business owners are cheering,” he said.

Data further showed that some sectors, including construction and retail, posted fewer jobs last year than the year before.

The CEO and general management sector registered the biggest drop in job ads at 32 per cent, followed by marketing and communication (31 per cent), legal (12 per cent), construction (nine per cent), sales (six per cent), information and communication technology (five per cent), science and technology (five per cent), and retail and consumer products (two per cent). 

Mr Edwards said the real reason behind slowing construction was a tightening of loan lending following the banking royal commission.

“The access of finance has become really problematic and it is having the greatest impact on the building sector at the moment,” he said.

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