Newstart Inquiry: There aren't enough jobs

There aren’t enough jobs for Australians looking for work, the Senate inquiry into Newstart has heard.

The Senate inquiry, which made its way to Perth yesterday, heard there are at least up to nine job applicants for every one job vacancy in Western Australia.

The question was put by Labor Senator Sue Lines to Chris Twomey of the Western Australian Council of Social Services.

SENATOR SUE LINES: Are there enough jobs in WA for every person who is unemployed?

CHRIS TWOMEY, WACOSS: No, there’s not. As far as I know, there’s at least 8 or 9 people applying for every single job, that is there. But there’s particularly a mismatch there when it comes to skills.

LINES: And so for every person that’s on welfare – would they be able to get work immediately?

TWOMEY: No.

LINES: So how are people supposed to get jobs that aren’t there?

TWOMEY: That’s a good question.

The Morrison Government says that the best form of welfare is a job. Yet the mathematical reality is that there simply aren’t enough jobs under the Liberals and Nationals.

The Morrison Government needs to act. It needs to boost the economy and lift people out of poverty. It needs to increase Newstart.

LINDA BURNEY

MEDIA RELEASE - THURSDAY, 7 NOVEMBER 2019