Intense Employment pressure for Young People

Monday, November 16, 2015

experienceSeven years after the Global Financial Crisis took place, the flow on effects have meant that teenage boys and young men in the labour market today are more likely to be unemployed. Research by the Brotherhood of St Laurence has released findings suggesting young men and women face different impacts from the GFC. Young women are more likely to be underemployed, working some hours but wanting to work more, and young men more likely to be unemployed.

One significant challenge the two sexes face is that employers are demanding more skills and experience than ever before from Australia’s emerging generation. “Young people lacking experience must negotiate a modern economy that is rapidly shifting to a knowledge and service base, striving to be internationally competitive and demanding more than ever of all its employees – including its new entrants,” The Brotherhoods Executive Director, Tony Nicholson said.

The report found that overall young jobseekers had been under “intense pressure” in their hunt for work, and as of August 2015, nearly 290,000 young people were entirely out of work across the country. That figure is more than 50 per cent above, or 100,000 more people, than at the start of the GFC in 2008. The Brotherhood analysed the Australian Bureau of Statistics trend data and found that at 14.6 per cent the unemployment rate for young men was 2 per cent higher than for young women.

A number of recommendations have been put forward as to how to deal with the issue, including targeted funding of education programs under a ‘needs based’ funding model, which recognizes that those facing educational disadvantage may require additional assistance.

For the full article see the link below:

http://www.probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2015/11/young-people-facing-‘intense’-employment-pressure-–-report?utm_source=Pro+Bono+Australia+-+email+updates&utm_campaign=c35320290d-jobs_09_1111_9_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5ee68172fb-c35320290d-146874989#

Peter Williams

HRM lecturer, ABS