Western Australia

Premier: Roger Cook (Labor), since 8 June 2023

Governments since 1998

Roger Cook

Labor · 8 June 2023 to now

Average over 4 years in office: unemployment 3.8%, growth 4.1%, wages 3.9%, inflation 4.0%

Mark McGowan

Labor · 17 Mar 2017 to 8 June 2023

Average over 6 years in office: unemployment 5.7%, growth 0.8%, wages 1.7%, inflation 2.5%

Colin Barnett

Liberal · 23 Sept 2008 to 17 Mar 2017

Average over 8 years in office: unemployment 4.7%, growth 3.1%, wages 3.3%, inflation 2.1%

Alan Carpenter

Labor · 25 Jan 2006 to 23 Sept 2008

Average over 3 years in office: unemployment 3.5%, growth 10.0%, wages 5.1%, inflation 4.1%

Geoff Gallop

Labor · 16 Feb 2001 to 25 Jan 2006

Average over 5 years in office: unemployment 5.9%, growth 5.1%, wages 3.7%, inflation 3.4%

Richard Court

Liberal · 16 Feb 1993 to 16 Feb 2001

Average over 2 years in office: unemployment 6.4%, growth 0.2%, wages 2.6%, inflation 2.1%

Averages use the financial years ending (30 June) while each leader was in office. They describe the state's economy at the time, not what any government caused.

Source: Premiers of Western Australia (History Notes, March 2025)

Parliamentary Library of Western Australia · checked 21 October 2026

Statistics by year

Unemployment rate

Average of the 12 monthly rates in the financial year (seasonally adjusted; trend for the ACT and NT, which have no seasonally adjusted series).

2025-26

4.2%

Premier on 30 June: Roger Cook (Labor)

2024-25

3.7%

Premier on 30 June: Roger Cook (Labor)

2023-24

3.7%

Premier on 30 June: Roger Cook (Labor)

2022-23

3.6%

Premier on 30 June: Roger Cook (Labor)

2021-22

3.8%

Premier on 30 June: Mark McGowan (Labor)

2020-21

6.1%

Premier on 30 June: Mark McGowan (Labor)

2019-20

6.0%

Premier on 30 June: Mark McGowan (Labor)

2018-19

6.1%

Premier on 30 June: Mark McGowan (Labor)

2017-18

6.1%

Premier on 30 June: Mark McGowan (Labor)

2016-17

6.2%

Premier on 30 June: Mark McGowan (Labor)

2015-16

6.0%