Government Must 'Restore the Balance' for Job Seekers

The Australian Catholic Social Welfare Commission has expressed concerns over the Commonwealth Government's Australia Day announcement to substantially toughen the job search requirements and penalties to be imposed on unemployed Australians.

The strengthening of so-called Mutual Obligation requirements outlined in this announcement include: the requirement for the unemployed to increase the number of job applications they make each fortnight; a wider application of the dole diary among the unemployed; and, the cancellation of payments for recipients leaving part-time work, which is often precarious and poorly paid.

Mr John Ferguson, Acting National Director of the Commission said, "The community accepts that it is reasonable to expect people who receive unemployment benefits to actively search for work and to take up job offers when they become available. However, the initiatives outlined by the Prime Minister and Minister for Community Services will do little to address the overwhelming cause of unemployment - the lack of available jobs in many sections of our community.

"The toughening of already harsh job search requirements and their associated threat of penalties will do little to address high rates of joblessness among disadvantaged regions and groups that continue to be denied a fair share of the Nation's economic fortune. The proposed changes offer nothing in the way of direct job creation, the reduction of tax disincentives which discourage the uptake of part-time work, or the provision of skills development which would help individuals to secure their rightful claim to secure and adequately remunerated employment" he said.

"The Australian Catholic Social Welfare Commission is concerned that the current preoccupation in social policy to increase punitive job search obligations is not being balanced with initiatives that would boost the supply of jobs to areas where they are needed most. Increases in job search, compliance and client monitoring will remain a wasteful and often demoralising exercise in areas where jobs are unavailable or inaccessible."

Mr Ferguson concluded, "It is hoped that the Government's formal review of the welfare system which is to be released in the coming months will restore the balance with genuine strategies to create jobs for regional communities, young people, the long-term unemployed and other groups who remain susceptible to the devastating consequences of unemployment."