The University of Adelaide has outlined that the sector of underemployed and unemployed Aussies are causing significant drag on the economy, with a lack of rewarding work resulting in a reduction in household consumption and consumer confidence.
An increase in the Newstart Allowance (NSA), deployed alongside a variety of other schemes, including sponsored work and training, would see more people able to access lucrative and rewarding work, which would ultimately benefit the economy, it found.
The research considered that in the long term, this would not only benefit the economy but consequently reduce the reliance on services such as the NSA.
The university indicated that the NSA is no longer substantial enough for jobseekers to subsist on due to the Howard government’s decision to benchmark NSA to inflation rather than wages.
The ratio of NSA to federal minimum wage (FMW) is now only 37.5 per cent.
“If the relativities between Newstart and average weekly earnings had stayed the same, the Newstart allowance would now be $347 and $356 per week for males and females, respectively, compared with the current rate of $278 a week,” associate professor of economics at the University of Adelaide Michael O’Neil outlined.
Underemployment and unemployment also mean a loss of human capital, a decrease in tax revenue, and an intensification of social problems.
“An increase of between $80 and $120 per week would be justified on the basis of equity for the recipients and in reducing the poverty gap many Newstart recipients face, while it would also help the unemployed to be better resourced for finding paid employment,” Professor O’Neil continued.
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