Thousands of Australians have been locked out of the job market and trapped in unemployment for years as entry-level jobs slowly disappear and no longer meet demand.
The findings are in a snapshot of Australia’s available jobs for this year by Anglicare Australia which urged compulsory participation of Workforce Australia and mutual obligations be scrapped considering its failing getting people into work.
The snapshot found on average in Australia there are 15 people to every entry-level job. Of these 15 people, on average two experience significant barriers to gaining work, meaning they often don’t stand a chance of securing the job.
These barriers includes people without experience or qualifications, people with disabilities, older Australians, and people re-entering the workforce after a long break.
Despite Australia’s job market bouncing back after harsh pandemic restrictions were wound down, the number of Australians who have barriers to gaining work and remain unemployed has stayed at around 100,000, barely budging for the past five years, the report said.
“We’ve come through a period of high employment yet our findings show there’s a pool of Australians that have not shared in this prosperity and have remained long-term unemployed,” said Anglicare’s executive director, Kasy Chambers.
“That shows the employment services are not doing their job, and the job market does not work well for those looking for entry-level jobs.”
Nearly half of all job vacancies require a tertiary education or at least three years experience, reflecting a shift towards a job market that requires more advanced skills, the report said.
It said the mutual obligation requirements, which require jobseekers to apply for five jobs a week, are “pointless and demoralising” given people are being forced to submit applications for jobs they’ll never get.
Sonia, a 41-year-old mother living in Adelaide, said she has spent the past four years searching for work. She completed a Tafe course in retail, but has been rejected from every job she has applied for and fears it is because of her age.
She said the stress of being required to apply for 20 jobs every month, while trying to support her child on below-poverty-level income support payments pushed her mental health to breaking point. She has recently been approved for the disability support pension because of her mental health challenges.
“I didn’t feel supported to or listened to, [the employment service] would tell me if you really want a job you’d get a job,” she said. “It all got too much in the end.”
The report found the ratio was worst in Tasmania where on average six people with barriers are competing against 30 others for an entry-level job.
This is closely followed by South Australia, where Sonia lives. On average three people with barriers are competing against 20 others.
The snapshot collected government data on the number of people with barriers to gaining work in the employment services system and compared it to the number of suitable job vacancies that were advertised during the month of June.
Alongside urging a re-think of the program, the report recommended increasing Jobseeker payments so people can focus on searching for jobs rather than trying to survive on below-poverty-level payments.
It also said the government should consider creating pathways for entry-level jobs in industries where workers are in demand, such as disability and aged care.
The Albanese government announced a parliamentary committee to investigate the design of the Workforce Australia program, with the the employment minister, Tony Burke, saying some aspects required “scrutiny and oversight”.
“The new government is already reviewing the system. That’s a good start,” Chambers said. “Our hope is that they will work with us to build a system that helps people, instead of leaving them behind.”
