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The Latest Breaking News from Workforce Australia

Labor’s JobSeeker reforms are a welcome step – but so far, fall short of a radical rebuild

The Albanese government has promised to undertake “once-in-a-generation” reforms of the government’s employment services system, which could affect the roughly one million Australians who access unemployment payments including JobSeeker.

The Conversation · May 28

Advocates blast 'Groundhog Day' employment changes

People seeking support to find a job will be funnelled into three separate streams under major changes to the one-size-fits-all approach to employment services.

AAP · May 26

'Too hard basket': Albanese govt to overhaul $2b-a-year employment services outsourcing

Big change coming to agency that has been missing targets

The Canberra Times · May 26

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Almost half of people using employment providers threatened with payment suspensions, new data shows

Government not maintaining ‘effective oversight’, with majority of decisions being overturned, commonwealth ombudsman found

The Guardian - AU · Dec 14, 2025

Nearly 90% of jobseekers unable to get long-term work despite millions spent on private job agencies

Employment department’s annual report shows just 11.7% of jobseekers ended up with jobs lasting at least 26 weeks last year

The Guardian - AU · Nov 3, 2025

Centrelink mutual obligations scheme paused amid scrutiny on ‘failing systems’

Department apologises for ‘potential confusion and distress’ after multiple IT issues and payments potentially cancelled in error

The Guardian - AU · Jan 23, 2025

Who wants to work for Defence anyway? What you missed on estimates day three

Convictions, internal investigations and strange contracts were uncovered.

The Canberra Times · Nov 6, 2024

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Job agencies suspending Centrelink payments at an alarming rate, data reveals

Exclusive: smaller Workforce Australia providers, including those catering to Indigenous jobseekers, have effectively suspended more than 90% of their caseloads

The Guardian - AU · Feb 21, 2024

Workforce Australia job agencies forced to return $8.5m in taxpayer funds after huge surge in faulty claims

Exclusive: Money returned to department by privatised employment services agencies doubled in 2022-23 amid apparent crackdown

The Guardian - AU · Feb 11, 2024

Jobseeker endured 11 weeks without Centrelink payments but was still forced to attend job agency appointments

Advocates say government failing to meet ‘basic obligation’ to process claims quickly after Tim McCabe spent weeks with ‘no income’

The Guardian - AU · Jan 20, 2024

Major Australian employment service accused of claiming credit for work jobseeker found herself

Exclusive: Documents seen by Guardian Australia suggest job provider APM referred woman for role she had already won; APM deny wrongdoing

The Guardian - AU · Dec 26, 2023

There are 26 jobseekers for every entry-level position in Australia, report finds

Anglicare chief says its survey shows more than 500,000 people are being ‘left behind’, with demand for starter jobs outstripping supply across country

The Guardian - AU · Dec 6, 2023

Job placement services driven by dole bludger myth

Australian employment services are fragmented and have failed, with a parliamentary review calling for a complete overhaul of the system.

AAP · Nov 30, 2023

Australia’s broken employment services system needs public provider, parliamentary review finds

Parliamentary inquiry established by Albanese government declares ‘full marketisation’ of $9.5bn system has ‘failed’

The Guardian - AU · Nov 30, 2023

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The Conversation · Nov 6, 2023

Almost 2 million Workforce Australia payments have been suspended in the past year, with devastating impact

Last year the federal government replaced the jobactive employment support program with what was expected to be a more flexible and improved support system for jobseekers, Workforce Australia.

The Guardian - AU · Sep 25, 2023

Five key changes to welfare and work rules in Labor’s employment white paper

Pensioners and jobseekers will be able to work more without losing payments, while Tafe and apprenticeships will get a funding boost in Working Future reforms

The Guardian - AU · Jul 18, 2023

Labor eyeing changes to ‘punitive’ mutual obligations for jobseekers, draft party platform suggests

Commitment to review welfare rules for unemployed people has lifted expectations the government will axe requirements such as work for the dole

The Guardian - AU · May 22, 2023

Australian jobseekers told to use ChatGPT to apply for jobs and shown irrelevant videos

Exclusive: A taxpayer-funded online employability course that included videos on body language contained ‘not curriculum-endorsed materials’

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The Guardian - AU · May 16, 2023

Labor urged to return employment services to public sector amid warning over mutual obligations

Union says compliance measures do more harm than good as Acoss analysis reveals they disproportionately affect vulnerable jobseekers

The Guardian - AU · May 5, 2023

ParentsNext has finally been axed but it remains to be seen if other punitive programs will be abolished

Its abolition was long overdue and the Albanese government is to be commended for heeding the calls of experts and advocates

The Guardian - AU · Mar 16, 2023

Scrap ‘punitive’ mutual obligation system for Australia’s jobseekers, job agency tells inquiry

Another key industry player suggested government should shut down the work-for-the-dole scheme

The Guardian - AU · Mar 12, 2023

Australia’s welfare system puts disadvantaged at risk, inquiry told

Mutual obligation system subjects some participants to ‘punitive conditions’, commonwealth ombudsman says

The Guardian - AU · Feb 7, 2023

Labor ditches Coalition’s $2.5m ‘jobdobber’ hotline for employers

Service let employers report jobseekers who rejected jobs or submitted inappropriate applications

The Guardian - AU · Jan 18, 2023

Inquiry grills Workforce Australia agencies on ‘bonkers’ reporting requirements for parental welfare

Committee hears ParentNext program is ‘punitive and prescriptive’, with threats of payment suspensions ‘significantly detrimental’ for families

The Guardian - AU · Dec 7, 2022

Thousands of Australians locked out of employment as entry-level jobs dry up, survey suggests

Anglicare says there are 15 applicants per position but many often stand little chance of success due to lack of experience, age and other barriers

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