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New report reveals around 860,000 people are underemployed

Menchie Khairuddin December 8, 2022

2 min read

Anglicare Australia Jobs Availability Snapshot shows that the job market is failing on long-term unemployment and has been locking the same people out of work in spite of historically high unemployment.

“Our Snapshot shows that almost a hundred thousand Australians in this situation are looking for work. That number has barely budged in five years. The same people are being left behind each year,” said Executive Director Kasy Chambers.

The Snapshot measures how many jobs are available for people who don’t have qualifications or work experience. It found that:

15 people across Australia are competing for each entry-level job
One in ten don’t have recent experience or qualifications, or they have barriers to work
Unemployment is going down, but the number of people with barriers to work has not budged
These Australians spend an average of five years looking for work
On top of that, 860,000 people are underemployed. They could also be competing for these jobs.

“Our system is failing those who need the most help to find work – people with disabilities, who didn’t finish year 12, or older workers who lost their jobs later in life,” added chambers.

She highlighted that many people need entry-level jobs to get their feet on the ladder, but there aren’t enough to meet demand in any part of the country. Across Australia, there are 15 job seekers competing for each entry-level role. People with barriers to work barely stand a chance.

“Even in a surging market, the same people are missing out. The right jobs aren’t there for the people who need them.”

“Our Snapshot shows that we need to overhaul Workforce Australia. This system props up private employment providers and costs taxpayers millions each year, but it is failing at getting people into work.

Chambers commends the new Government for reviewing the system and hopes that they will work with Anglicare to build a system that helps people, instead of leaving them behind.

“We need to lift job seekers out of poverty. Nobody should be trapped in poverty while they look for work.”

Menchie Khairuddin

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Menchie Khairuddin is a writer Deputy Content Manager at Akolade and content producer for Third Sector News. She is passionate about social affairs specifically in mixed, multicultural heritage and not-for-profit organisations.