'Simple mathematical fact': Report finds lack of jobs for unemployed   

October 16, 2019
The Age


There are five low-skilled applicants competing for every entry-level job, making it impossible for some unemployed Australians to find work, new research on job availability has found.

As the Morrison government continues to resist calls to raise Newstart, arguing people should get a job instead, Anglicare Australia says "it is a simple mathematical fact" there are not enough jobs to go around. 

Pressure on the government over Newstart

There's a swell of support for Newstart to be increased, but not everyone supports the rise.

In its Jobs Availability Snapshot, Anglicare Australia compared government data on the number of unemployed people who have significant barriers to gaining work with the number of suitable online positions advertised in May 2019.

Barriers to gaining work include disability, not finishing high school, losing your job in your 50s and being a refugee or Indigenous Australian.


As of May 2019, there were 704,700 unemployed people, with nearly 100,000 classified as facing significant barriers to finding a job. It found there were 18,200 low-skilled entry-level jobs advertised that month.

Based on these figures, Anglicare says there are about five low-skilled job seekers competing for every low-skilled job. Anglicare Australia executive director Kasy Chambers explained this was a conservative estimate as it did not include recent graduates or others who may be seeking to boost their income with a low-skilled job.

"To us, this [report] blows a hole in the 'just get a job' argument," Ms Chambers said.

According to the government's talking points, accidentally released on Monday, in response to questions about Newstart, MPs are supposed to note: "the best form of welfare is a job. And the government is absolutely focussed on getting people off welfare and into work".

Anglicare's report found the low-skilled jobs are "drying up" due to labour market changes and a growing emphasis on more complex jobs. This year, only 10 per cent of job vacancies did not require qualifications or work experience, down from 22 per cent in 2006.

Along with an immediate increase to the rate of Newstart, which is about $40 a day for a single person, Anglicare said the payment should be set by an independent commission, to take it out of the hands of politicians.

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said almost 1.5 million jobs had been created since the Coalition won government in 2013. 

"The labour market is constantly providing opportunities for unemployed people," she said.

She added the government spent "billions every year to provide job seekers of all abilities the best opportunity for employment that works for them".

The government announced an overhaul of unemployment services before the election. Senator Cash said the national rollout - due in 2022 - will "redirect resources to be better spent on those who face the greatest barriers in the job market".

There would be far more jobs if the government and the unions didn't make it so difficult to employ people.

freediver wrote on Oct 21^st, 2019 at 7:59am:


What do they do that makes it difficult?

The simple mathematics are that if white night devoted as much time to self-improvement as he does to complaining on an internet forum he would be the most employable citizen in the country

greggerypeccary wrote on Oct 21^st, 2019 at 10:09am:


Employers are subject to the same reality as everyone else. Pay peanuts, get monkeys.

greggerypeccary wrote on Oct 21^st, 2019 at 10:18am:


Stop all the criminal behaviour, intimidation, gouging etc would be top of the list.

freediver wrote on Oct 21^st, 2019 at 10:07am:


You know that minimum wage movement has never produced the slightest change in the employment trend.

Conservative politics seems to dictate that the only way to fix anything is to pay the lowest paid less, 100% false. At the same time they always argue the the highest paid should be getting more and on top of that most conservative governments give these people who need no help a mountain of public money in tax cuts or anything else that can think of.

During the "empty beers" (Howard Years) An employer group wanted to be able to pay employees so little that they would be entitled to benefits while fully employed. The ultimate in employer wealthfare, The employee works for the company but the tax payer pays their wage.

Wonder why nobody talks about a high wage cap - now here is an unneeded cost that does impact business viability.

freediver wrote on Oct 21^st, 2019 at 10:15am:


No all companies go to the new standard and you get the exact same people on low wages today on lower wages next week.

I remember John Howard using the pay peanuts get monkeys example to justify politicians wage increases but the disprover was that no matter how much they increased the wages he never went away.