Anglicare Australia is today releasing its annual Jobs Availability Snapshot, which shows that the job market has been locking the same people out of work every year.
The Snapshot measures how many jobs are available for people who don’t have qualifications or work experience. It finds that:
- For every entry-level job, there are 33 people out of work
- The situation is worst in the NT, where there are 65 people for every job, followed by Tasmania where there are 50
- Around two thirds (62%) of people out of work are long-term unemployed
- These Australians spend almost four years looking for work.
“Australians have heard a lot of rhetoric over the years about full employment and a fair go. But our Snapshot shows that the employment system has given up on people who need the most help to find work,” said Executive Director Kasy Chambers.
“These can be people with disabilities, people who didn’t finish year 12, or older workers who lost their jobs later in life.
“They need entry-level jobs to get a start, but there aren’t enough of these to meet demand in any part of the country. For each entry-level role, there are 33 people looking for work.
“With such tight numbers, people with barriers to work barely stand a chance. It’s no wonder that many are long-term unemployed. Each year, we find that the same people are being left behind by the job market.”
Ms Chambers said Australia’s employment system needs to be overhauled to put support ahead of punishment.
“Our Snapshot shows that people are being churned through Australia’s employment and welfare system without getting help they need. They are running a gauntlet of interviews, reporting, and training courses that aren’t leading to work. Private providers are being paid millions of dollars to run this system without delivering results. It’s time to overhaul our employment system so that it prioritises helping people instead of punishing them.
“It’s also clear that we need to lift JobSeeker and other Centrelink payments. Nobody should be trapped in poverty while they look for work.
“We cannot allow the same people to be left behind each year. It’s time to build a safety net that that helps people instead of punishing them,” Ms Chambers said.