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Thursday, 25th September 2003

Western Victoria: 14 Job Seekers For Every Vacancy


For every job advertised on the Government’s much-vaunted Australian JobSearch website for Western Victoria there are 14 unemployed people.


An analysis of Government data reveals that there are 23,400 job seekers in Western Victoria and only 1,710 jobs on the Job Search website – a majority of which are part-time or casual.


These figures are an indictment on the job creation efforts of the Howard Government. The Government is failing to provide employment opportunities for jobseekers in rural and regional Australia, particularly those who have been out of work for some time.


Recent employment growth has not benefited all the regions and communities of Australia.


At a time when rural and regional jobseekers are clearly need increased help and support, the Howard Government’s cornerstone labour market program – the Job Network – has been lurching towards financial collapse with many providers recently threatening to close their doors. In response the Government has been forced to bailout the Job Network to the tune of $2.1 billion.


Furthermore, from 1 July this year the level of service to local jobseekers was substantially reduced following the Government’s decision to slash the number of Job Network sites in Western Victoria by an extraordinary 42%. That translated into the loss of 47 offices and hundreds of jobs across the region.


After 7 years in office the Howard Government’s employment strategies have only been able to deliver a rise in long-term unemployment. The number of people unemployed for more than 12 months is higher today than when the Howard Government was first elected to office. This is a national disgrace.


The latest analysis of vacancy numbers confirms that this situation is not likely to improve anytime soon.


Communities in this region include: Ballarat, Bendigo, Colac, Geelong, Hamilton, Kerang, Maryborough, Portland and Warrnambool.


 


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Electorate Office

334a Marrickville Rd
Marrickville NSW 2204

Phone: 02 9564 3588

Parliament House Office

Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: 02 6277 7700

Phone: (02) 9564 3588
Fax: (02) 9564 1734
Email: A.Albanese.MP@aph.gov.au

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which our offices stand and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge the sorrow of the Stolen Generations and the impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We also recognise the resilience, strength and pride of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Authorised by Anthony Albanese. 334a Marrickville Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204.

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