How 67,000 Australians have been on Jobseeker for a decade
Almost 320,000 Australians have been unemployed for between two years and a decade despite living through the biggest jobs booms in Australia’s history.
Unemployment data from March 2024 showed more Australians were jobless for between two and 10 years than the entire population of Wollongong.
The figures come despite 820,000 new jobs being created since the last federal election.
Job shortages in the aftermath of Covid have been so dire it sparked the government to open the floodgates to migration in a bid to fill the shortages.
It comes as a recruiter told The Daily Telegraph people were applying for jobs they were severely underqualified for to meet their Jobseeker requirements and get their welfare payment.
Pub baron Craig Laundy said his industry is desperately short on workers and hospitality was the perfect starting point for people who had been unemployed long term because of “on the job” learning opportunities.
“Some long term unemployed just lack the confidence to just get out and have a go and they don’t back themselves,” he said.
“I would rather have people untrained, so I don’t have to retain and get rid of bad habits. If the government was to work with the hospitality industry, I’m sure we would be happy to do so.
“When unemployment gets to as low as it is, it’s hard to imagine that the people on unemployment benefits right now are prepared to do anything it takes to get off them. It’s not a sledge, I think it’s a confidence issue.”
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is calling for an overhaul of the welfare system to prevent people from being unemployed for long periods of time.
She is also calling for pensioners to be able to work more hours if they wanted to without it impacting their welfare payments.
“I’m not saying cut off their benefits … (but) we need to push a two-to-five-year time frame where you can receive welfare payments but the rest of the time you have to work,” she said.
“We must ensure we have workers.”
Recruiter Graham Wynn is also supportive of an overhaul of the Jobseeker system.
“We still get resumes from (underqualified) people, I had one this morning where someone said ‘My apologies I had to send this through to get my Centrelink’,” he said.
“She did not have qualifications needed for the job. There is no accountability from job providers to make sure they do the right thing.”
Mr Wynn said employers are also becoming more picky in who they hire.
“Employers are being a lot pickier in how they hire these days. Those people with limited skill sets and experiences are really struggling to find work,” he said.
“They are just not getting a look in. Employers are wanting people who are exactly what they are looking for.”
The latest employment figures showed an unemployment rate of 4.1 per cent.
Working way back from illness
Truck driver Christopher Panagis was sent to the hospital for an infection in December and his medical condition has forced him to stay on Jobseeker while he recovers in emergency accommodation. I’m looking for a place now. So as soon as I get a place to live, I can get a job again.”
For people who aren’t in a hurry to get off Jobseeker, Mr Panagis said “they must have money put away somewhere”.
“Me, I’ve got nothing, no savings. So I’m relying on this to get by,” he said.
Job vital for mental health
Villawood resident Nicole Hailes became unemployed in 2009 after working in childcare for eight years because of a mental breakdown due to childhood trauma.
It took Ms Hailes until 2017 to be able to get back into working casually in a school canteen before taking on a permanent job in January in the disability sector while also studying.
“I did not want my life to go like this. I’m 40 and back on track to a certain point. I said to them (Centrelink) ‘Do you think this is the life I want? I don’t want to rely on someone giving me money’,” she said.
“(Getting a job) gave me a purpose, purpose to get out of bed every day. It gave me responsibilities.
“Getting the letter that told me I no longer meet the requirements for Jobseeker made me feel like oh my god I finally got here. This was my long term goal all along.”
Ms Hailes said by starting casual work she was able to regain the confidence she needed to re-enter the workforce.
“It was my mental health that got me to a point where I just shut down,” she said.
“You blank out, you don’t care because you’re not wanting to exist.
“I was able to get casual employment through a program which helped me build my confidence.”
Clinical psychologist Professor Adam Guastella said “employment has been repeatedly shown to be absolutely crucial for improving mental health and wellbeing long term”.
“Being employed has huge ramifications, it gives people confidence in what they are achieving on a day-to-day basis.
“It gives people structure, you have somewhere to be, people to interact with.
“When people are unemployed it impacts their confidence and poor mental health and it can lead people to struggle to find a way back into the workforc