ROOT
How pensioners could help solve Australia’s labour shortages
Business associations across the country say pensioners should be incentivised to work more.
How pensioners could help solve Australia’s labour shortages
Business associations across the country say pensioners should be incentivised to work more.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has claimed that allowing pensioners to earn more without impacting their pension would address the country’s skills shortage.
Under the current work bonus scheme, pensioners are able to earn an average of $480 per fortnight before their payments are reduced at an effective marginal tax rate of at least 50 per cent.
Pensioners can only earn the equivalent of the minimum wage for one day each week before their payments are reduced, according to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“There is an army of older workers, ready and willing to return to the workplace. However, skilled aged pension recipients have very little incentive to re-enter the workplace,” said Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Andrew McKellar.
“In raising the work bonus threshold, pensioners would be allowed the opportunity to earn more, while businesses who are struggling to find staff would have access to workers, filling thousands of job vacancies.”
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has joined forces with the chambers of commerce from each state and territory to call on the federal government to raise the threshold.
Since skilled migrants, working holiday-makers and international students are unable to return to Australia due to the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the chambers of commerce said older skilled workers would be key to Australia’s economic recovery.
“As the national, state and territory chambers of commerce, our united demand reflects the fact that businesses right across the country are crying out for workers,” said Mr McKellar.
“This is a simple step the federal government must take to grow our workforce, boost our productivity and drive our economic recovery.”
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has shown that the number of additional hours worked by Australians aged over 65 has increased from 685,000 hours two years ago to more than 978,000 hours.
Fifty-two per cent of business leaders in a recent survey said it is now more challenging to find qualified employees compared to before the pandemic.
RELATED ARTICLES
Earn
Australia’s entrepreneur boom: August 2025 breaks records with over 100,000 new ABNs
Australia is witnessing an unprecedented surge in entrepreneurship, with the latest figures revealing a record-breaking number of new business registrations in August 2025. According to the newly ...Read more
Earn
Beyond the cash rate: How affordability reshaped Australia’s property playbook in 2025
Australian buyers are less fixated on interest rates and more constrained by affordability, a pivot that is quietly rewriting strategies for banks, developers and institutional investorsRead more
Earn
Australia’s rate cut revealed: What it means for property, profits and the months ahead
The RBA’s 25-basis-point cut to 3.6% extends the easing cycle and resets the calculus for households, lenders and property operators. Expect a faster spring selling season and a sharper rate war, but ...Read more
Earn
Beyond the sticker price: decoding a property’s real value in a volatile market
As prices in several Australian cities keep defying slower growth and higher rates, the question isn’t what a property costs—it’s what it’s truly worth. Value today is a stack: cash flows, replacement ...Read more
Earn
Cohorts, credits and competition: decoding Australia’s retirement reform consultation
Can a $3.9 trillion super system finally crack the ‘last mile’ of retirement? Canberra’s consultation on cohort-based retirement solutions aims to move beyond accumulation-era thinking, with ...Read more
Earn
Australian employment data shows mixed signals as full-time jobs rise despite overall decline
Australia's employment landscape presented mixed signals in May, with overall employment declining despite a strong rise in full-time positions, according to analysis of the latest Labour Force dataRead more
Earn
Millennials face 'generational squeeze' as most vulnerable group in retirement
Millennials will be the most vulnerable demographic to face the "generational squeeze" in retirement, caught between supporting elderly parents and adult children while funding their own later years, ...Read more
Earn
Top workplaces for women in 2025 highlight progress in gender equity and inclusive leadership
Australia’s top workplaces for women in 2025 have been announced, recognising companies that are leading the way in gender equity, flexible work arrangements and inclusive leadership development. Read more
Earn
Australia’s entrepreneur boom: August 2025 breaks records with over 100,000 new ABNs
Australia is witnessing an unprecedented surge in entrepreneurship, with the latest figures revealing a record-breaking number of new business registrations in August 2025. According to the newly ...Read more
Earn
Beyond the cash rate: How affordability reshaped Australia’s property playbook in 2025
Australian buyers are less fixated on interest rates and more constrained by affordability, a pivot that is quietly rewriting strategies for banks, developers and institutional investorsRead more
Earn
Australia’s rate cut revealed: What it means for property, profits and the months ahead
The RBA’s 25-basis-point cut to 3.6% extends the easing cycle and resets the calculus for households, lenders and property operators. Expect a faster spring selling season and a sharper rate war, but ...Read more
Earn
Beyond the sticker price: decoding a property’s real value in a volatile market
As prices in several Australian cities keep defying slower growth and higher rates, the question isn’t what a property costs—it’s what it’s truly worth. Value today is a stack: cash flows, replacement ...Read more
Earn
Cohorts, credits and competition: decoding Australia’s retirement reform consultation
Can a $3.9 trillion super system finally crack the ‘last mile’ of retirement? Canberra’s consultation on cohort-based retirement solutions aims to move beyond accumulation-era thinking, with ...Read more
Earn
Australian employment data shows mixed signals as full-time jobs rise despite overall decline
Australia's employment landscape presented mixed signals in May, with overall employment declining despite a strong rise in full-time positions, according to analysis of the latest Labour Force dataRead more
Earn
Millennials face 'generational squeeze' as most vulnerable group in retirement
Millennials will be the most vulnerable demographic to face the "generational squeeze" in retirement, caught between supporting elderly parents and adult children while funding their own later years, ...Read more
Earn
Top workplaces for women in 2025 highlight progress in gender equity and inclusive leadership
Australia’s top workplaces for women in 2025 have been announced, recognising companies that are leading the way in gender equity, flexible work arrangements and inclusive leadership development. Read more
