Anglicare Australia has released its job availability snapshot, which looks at the barriers to work, including for older people who lost their job later in life, those who did not complete year 12 or Australians with a disability.

When looking at just those with barriers to employment, eight JobSeekers are competing for a job, with that figure being as high as 20 in some parts of the country.

If including everyone that is currently on the JobSeeker program, Anglicare noted 106 people are now applying for every entry-level job.

This is excluding a further 1.63 million who are now unemployed that could be competing for these same jobs.

Anglicare Australia executive director Kasy Chambers said more people are competing for fewer entry-level jobs.

“This doesn’t include people with more skills and experience, who are also competing for this work in the wake of job losses. In total, there are a staggering 106 jobseekers for each entry-level job.”

The director pointed to the JobMaker scheme, which is leaving many people, especially older Australians, out when it comes to finding new employment.

“They’re facing cuts to their payments, and they’re being forced to jump through hoops and apply for jobs. But our research shows the jobs just aren’t there,” Ms Chambers said.

“If we’re serious about helping people, we need to create jobs that match their skills – instead of forcing them to compete for jobs that just aren’t there.”

Instead, the charity advocates for holding JobSeeker payments at their current levels and removing the JobActive.

“We need to abolish JobActive, which simply isn’t helping people find work. Instead, private providers are paid to punish and breach people.

“And we need to stop cuts to the JobSeeker payment. Record numbers of people are out of work. They shouldn’t be trapped in poverty while they get their lives together.

“These changes are urgent. If we don’t fix this broken system, we will go on forcing people to compete for jobs that simply don’t exist,” she concluded.

About the author

Cameron is a journalist for Momentum Media's nestegg and Smart Property Investment. He enjoys giving Aussies practical financial tips and tricks to help grow their wealth and achieve financial independence. As a self-confessed finance nerd, Cameron enjoys chatting with industry experts and commentators to leverage their insights to grow your portfolio.

About the author

Cameron is a journalist for Momentum Media's nestegg and Smart Property Investment. He enjoys giving Aussies practical financial tips and tricks to help grow their wealth and achieve financial independence. As a self-confessed finance nerd, Cameron enjoys chatting with industry experts and commentators to leverage their insights to grow your portfolio.

Cameron is a journalist for Momentum Media's nestegg and Smart Property Investment. He enjoys giving Aussies practical financial tips and tricks to help grow their wealth and achieve financial independence. As a self-confessed finance nerd, Cameron enjoys chatting with industry experts and commentators to leverage their insights to grow your portfolio.

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