Jobless surging to agencies

Andrew Mathieson
GEELONG jobs agencies have reported a spike in clients as more workers fall victim to Australia’s struggling economy.
The agencies said they expected demand to increase further this month after Federal Government relaxed eligibility rules.
Employment provider IPA Personnel said its case load had increased more than 20 per cent in the past three months as more Geelong workers lost their jobs.
New assistance rules will allow workers who lost their job in the past month immediate access to job placement assistance and training.
According to Australian Bureau of Statistics, unemployment in the Geelong region jumped from five to a four-year high of 7.1 per cent in February.
The rate was almost two per cent higher than the national figure of 5.2 per cent.
Geelong IPA personnel operations manager Sue Osman said staff were experiencing first hand the financial crisis’s devastating impact on workers.
“We understand the financial and emotional difficulties faced by people who have recently been made redundant and how stressful the initial shock can be,” Ms Osman said.
She believed “hundreds of jobs” were still available for people prepared to work in security, home care, hospitality or customer service.
“We’re encouraging job seekers to consider these roles as well as entry-level opportunities,” she said.
“It’s about focusing on the here and now.”
Tracey the Placement People manager Jason Butcher said manufacturing workers were bearing the brunt of Geelong job cuts but his agency had also noted a “significant” increase in administration and warehouse distribution staff out of work.
Workers from white-collar jobs were also prevalent, he said.
“We have had a lot registering since the start of the year. It’s been substantial and definitely noticeable.”
Mr Butcher said his agency had been talking to industry leaders and companies about “potential” redundancies.
He expected an increase in registerations by April.
“I’m not sure when it’s going to finish,” Mr Butcher said.
A Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry survey has found a “lack of confidence” about employment opportunities among the chamber’s Geelong members.
Chamber Geelong and south-west regional manager James Gulli said the organisation wanted government to remove obstacles for businesses to hire more staff.
“It’s a good time to take some serious action on removing taxes on jobs, such as reduction of payroll tax,” he said.
“Obviously, we’d like government to focus on more infrastructure and skills, which would increase local business confidence and stimulate private business investment to preserve employment.”