Unemployment rate hits 10 year high

[Guest BurgessFamily]

The 3 months probation and the fact there is a lot of casual labour here, employers are not slow to bring down the axe when they want to.

 

I'm not sure what comeback can be had if you are on probation, but I get the impression it is very little from what I have seen.

[Guest kobi]

Thanks for your comments so far, they are all very useful.

 

To be honest, my comment about doing any work was down to the necessity of i) keep self occupied ii) to intergrate within a community, work does and can help make friends etc iii) gaining some experience and income whilst then looking for something more suited to my skills.

 

As Billy Jo mentioned, working, even in a less desirable position, if helps give the family that little bit extra it's definately worth doing.

 

Of course we will keep on researching and we wouldnt be making any move over without confirmed work for the wife etc.

I have seen some posters making the plunge with no work in place - very brave!

[Lazy Cow]

I have seen some posters making the plunge with no work in place - very brave!

 

I might be wrong but I think the majority come over without work. Just the (often sadly mistaken) belief that if their occupation is on The List then they will be ok.

 

I don't believe it is possible to account and prepare for every eventuality, you can only do your best.

 

Good luck,

 

LC

[Guest BurgessFamily]

The occupation list is only half the story... you need to fully research your opportunities before arriving, but not necessarily have a job lined up.

 

Also note that a lot of jobs require money up front... like paying for first aid cert, police check (uk no good), licenses etc... no major thing I guess.

[Guest Guest12727]

Hi all, interesting thread.

 

Wifes occupation is still listed as an occupation in demand on the skills occupation list in the southern australia territory, which is what ignited our interest in Adelaide.

I've read both positive and negative things about the city and state but we plan on visiting soon to make our own opinions.

 

The thing that confuses me most is why the state still seems intent on marketing itself as an area of growth to migrants when it seems according to a lot forums that the work really isn't there.

Is this opinion from residents of SA, one based on general experiences or more relevant to those looking for work without specific skills sets/occupations?

 

Kobi

 

You may wish to look into the difference between a shortage of Pharmacy jobs in SA and a shortage in Adelaide - this isn't the same thing. The government bases it's skills shortage on the whole state, not just Adelaide. Skilled migrants maybe need to be prepared to start in rural locations to gain employment initially. Perhaps the SA Gov need to do a better job of advertising this to potential migrants........ or is it in the interpretation, do they say come to Adelaide or come to SA?? We do need migrants with skills in SA, but not necessarily in Adelaide, which is where most seem to want to settle.

[Guest Guest12727]

In some areas, SA is struggling jobs wise. Youth unemployment is as high as 20% in some areas (like North Adelaide), with overall unemployment continuing to creep higher. Holden is closing, and with Ford and Toyota following there will be a huge knock on through suppliers etc... The state is heavily in debt, and either needs to start raising revenue or taxes (or both) to fill the hole - it can't keep spend far beyond it's means indefinitely.

 

...and don't be surprised if you end up fed up of putting sun lotion on all the kids and making sure they have hats etc... day after day (you need a good 30 mins planning time to any time spent in the sun... lol).

 

Sorry to be pedantic, but for those who don't know Adelaide well this can be misleading. North Adelaide is a suburb on the city fringe, and I expect unemployment there is pretty close to zero. Burgessfamily means some Northern suburbs have very high youth unemployment, these are probably suburbs around 20kms from the city centre North of Adelaide (and I expect some Southern suburbs aren't much different).

 

Again it highlights the importance of considering locations for living that are going to maximise employment opportunities while in the early stages of relocation from UK and not living somewhere because the beach looks nice. This can all happen later.

 

I agree, putting on sun lotion is a pain and we tend to avoid the sun rather than bother most of the time

Edited February 25, 2014 by Guest12727

[Guest BurgessFamily]

North Adelaide is a suburb on the city fringe, and I expect unemployment there is pretty close to zero. Burgessfamily means some Northern suburbs have very high youth unemployment

 

 

sorry yes, meant Northern Adelaide... not the actual suburb.

 

Edited February 25, 2014 by BurgessFamily

[Guest Guest12727]

sorry yes, meant Northern Adelaide... not the actual suburb.

 

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Interesting map, is this youth unemployment figures only and if so, what age defines youth?

[Guest BurgessFamily]

yes youth only... under 25yrs old.

[Guest Guest12727]

This all sounds terrible, so I looked up some other figures and it seems everywhere is terrible.

 

UK

The unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds not in full-time education was 18.2%.Oct - Dec13 (Parliamentary figures)

 

figures for youth unemployment around Australia released yesterday

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2013/s3950682.htm -

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/21661567/youth-unemployment-at-crisis-point-according-to-brotherhood-of-st-lawrence-analysis/

 

Overall, UK national youth unemployment rate is higher than any Australian state youth unemployment rate and SA doesn't seem any worse than the other states, with all having some high pockets.

[Guest BurgessFamily]

...and they want people to work into their 70s.

 

Holden are also one of the biggest employers in Northern Adelaide, so they need to be looking elsewhere.

 

Australia is lucky it avoided a recession.

 

(and I'd be sure not to migrate to the UK )

Edited February 25, 2014 by BurgessFamily

[Guest kobi]

You may wish to look into the difference between a shortage of Pharmacy jobs in SA and a shortage in Adelaide - this isn't the same thing. The government bases it's skills shortage on the whole state, not just Adelaide. Skilled migrants maybe need to be prepared to start in rural locations to gain employment initially. Perhaps the SA Gov need to do a better job of advertising this to potential migrants........ or is it in the interpretation, do they say come to Adelaide or come to SA?? We do need migrants with skills in SA, but not necessarily in Adelaide, which is where most seem to want to settle.

 

Hi Howde, absolutely spot on post.

 

You are correct, wife checks skills occupation list for her job - sees SA is a good option.

I then say... well got to be Adelaide then. So we start to look at Adelaide.

 

But as you mention, the actual skills shortage is based on the state - not the capital city.

Really good comments by yourself that highlights the initial reaction of people looking to migrate to SA - let's go Adelaide! When actually we do need to be looking at the actual state and that does include the more rural areas.

 

I will let the missus know that her actual possible commute to work may be a little bit longer than I may have originally indicated!

[jim and adel]

Hi Howde, absolutely spot on post.

 

You are correct, wife checks skills occupation list for her job - sees SA is a good option.

I then say... well got to be Adelaide then. So we start to look at Adelaide.

 

But as you mention, the actual skills shortage is based on the state - not the capital city.

Really good comments by yourself that highlights the initial reaction of people looking to migrate to SA - let's go Adelaide! When actually we do need to be looking at the actual state and that does include the more rural areas.

 

I will let the missus know that her actual possible commute to work may be a little bit longer than I may have originally indicated!

 

The SA state government knows full well this confusion and has had plenty of chances to highlight better to migrants this very point. In its frantic drive to recruit more people to the state (anywhere in the state as long as they come), it has chosen to do pretty much bugger all other than add the odd line here or there to different pieces of documentation.

 

Crucially Adelaide is the only mainland state capital to be listed as 'regional' when it comes to visas. There has been much frustration by true 'regional' councils over the years about this very matter ...

From a 2010 Advertiser article:

ADELAIDE has crippled expansion of the state's rural centres and should be stripped of its regional skilled migration status to unlock economic growth, country mayors say.

As the Federal Government yesterday flagged development of "second capitals" to manage the forecast population boom, regional leaders said Adelaide's unique status stopped many skilled workers from settling in country areas.

Mt Gambier mayor Steve Perryman and Port Augusta mayor Joy Baluch yesterday called for an overhaul of migration regulations.

The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme lowers visa requirements, making it easier for employers in designated "regional" cities to fill jobs. Adelaide is the only "regional" mainland capital.

Mt Gambier Mayor Steve Perryman said the state's population plan needed a greater focus on regional centres. He said Adelaide "should never have been allowed to have regional status in the first place" and the designation should be revoked.

"The fact that Adelaide is recognised as regional under the program is an impediment to the South-East and the other regions in the state," he said. The South-East faced skills shortages in the areas of health, diesel mechanics, accountants and engineers.

Port Augusta Mayor Joy Baluch said governments should be "pulling out all stops" to ensure skilled migration to the Upper Spencer Gulf region. "You can't get a plumber, carpenter or electrician and if you are lucky enough for one to ring you back, you might have to wait months," she said yesterday. "I'm sick to death of Adelaide being a city state. There is little consideration given to regional centres for all services - health, education, transport."

 

 

 

[Jessica Berry]

We have income protection and we received a letter this week notifying us of an increase in premiums. Part of the reason for the rise was 'due to increasing unemployment'.........sign of the times I guess.

[Hedy Elnemr]

Hi all... well , am now freaked out from this important thread ..only few days before my grant

[Guest BurgessFamily]

The next federal budget is likely to be a real killer, due in a few weeks.

[Jessica Berry]

A couple of case studies here relating to other threads that have been discussed in relation to jobs being outsourced and the downturn of the car industry.......

 

 

 

LAST week, news broke that the number of people on benefits reached a 15-year-high with 840,000 people receiving the Newstart or Youth Allowance, up 44,000 from the previous year.

It was swiftly followed by the announcement that Qantas will sack 5000 full-time workers and comes following thousands more job cuts as Ford, Toyota and Holden close their doors in Australia.

 

But while it’s easy to think about facts and figures, the human face of unemployment is often forgotten. Here four Australians share their stories with news.com.au.

 

Honor Elliot

Honor, 31, had a 10-year radio career in Melbourne before moving to Cairns to be with her partner.

 

She’s been looking for work for more than a year but has been unable to find anything stable. Honor told news.com.au she’s refused the dole so far and is now looking outside Cairns meaning she’ll have to do long-distance with her fiance.

 

“The scary thing for me is I am struggling emotionally [not working]... We’re just going to have to do long distance, but because I’m now not full-time employed people don’t want to know me. It’s just amazing how many times you can break down.”

 

She’s applied for hundreds of jobs and started online store urbanwolfpack.com in the meantime.

 

“I’m desperately trying to come up with ways to stand on my own two feet again and feel like a worthwhile person. The constant job knock backs has taken a real toll on my self-belief and I often just want to curl into a ball and stay in bed all day,” she said.

 

Financial stress has also been hard on her relationship. She said she jokes with her partner about money but “if something doesn’t change soon, we are going to drown”.

 

“I’m 31 and can’t even think about having kids. Which scares me. If we don’t turn our financial situation around soon we won’t be able to consider having children of our own.”

 

John McCormack

Brisbane tradie John McCormack said his life came “crashing down” last June when he was headhunted from his job with an offer he couldn’t refuse.

 

“I did my homework on the new company and everything checked out perfectly. Six weeks later I was informed that due to lost contracts and a lack of work the company was closing down,” he said over the phone from the Northern Territory.

 

John couldn't return to his old job which had already been filled and has refused to go on benefits. He’s been doing odd jobs ever since, from driving forklifts to working in hotels and is currently based in a roadhouse 130km north of Alice Springs.

 

“I’ve just been trying to do it all myself. I know [the dole] is there and I’ve looked into it [but] I know there’s that stigma attached. I’m just from that school of you’ve got to do it yourself. I’ve found enough work to keep me going until I find what I want to do. It’s been a pretty long seven months,” he said.

 

He’s applied for hundreds of jobs and knocked on doors all over the country. John said he took the job in rural Australia to prove he can deal with the FIFO mining culture, where he wants to work.

 

“For all the ones I’ve applied for you always get that letter back saying ‘thanks but no thanks’ I always want to say ‘just give me a chance.’”

 

He said his engagement has been a bright spot in a rough few months and the couple are set to marry in August. Otherwise, it’s been a struggle to be optimistic.

 

“It comes and goes. When one job finishes you’re sitting at home. You want to do something to the house but that costs money and you can’t afford it but it’s good to have the support of someone like Sarah who has been unbelievable. Eventually it will come good. Fingers crossed.”

 

Patty Calvert

Patty Calvert, 48, worked in administration at a company that made parts for Ford, so when the car manufacturer announced they would cease Australian operations, she knew her job would go with it.

 

She said the next few months were extremely tough as they weren’t sure when their jobs would go.

 

“We were never given real answers as to when it would be shut down, which made it really hard to plan and caused more stress,” she said.

 

The company shrunk from a staff of 700 in its day to just 30 people. Plenty were too young to retire but left wondering if they were too old to find work somewhere else.

 

“It was really emotional for them watching the place get dismantled piece by piece.”

 

Patty, who lives in Melbourne, has been surviving on a mixture of casual work and Newstart Allowance while waiting for her redundancy package to come through. She’s been without a job before but said with three children at nearly 50 she’s finding it difficult to cope.

 

“It’s amazing how quickly your confidence disappears, as you apply for job after job and get no interviews, not even any responses, you start wondering if being close to 50 is going to see you unemployable yourself. Some days it’s hard to get out of bed and to get motivated.”

 

She’s now interviewing for work and thinking about studying to increase her prospects.

 

Simon

Simon, who didn’t want to use his last name, was made redundant from a senior project management role at IBM in June last year. His job was outsourced to India as part of a company-wide strategy that will impact 10,000 people — 40 per cent of their workforce — by 2015.

 

He spent the next eight months on Newstart allowance attending more than 150 job interviews. The 26-year-old described it as a hugely stressful time as he broke up with his girlfriend and was forced to move back in with his parents as a last resort.

 

“My girlfriend got sick of me not being able to pay the bills and contribute — we couldn’t keep the place, she decided on financial grounds to split up,” he said.

 

“It was tough getting it in first place, the lines are massive ... It was a very stressful process. And having to refer to yourself as a pensioners when you go to doctors.”

 

He said he tried to be honest about his reasons for finding new work, but eventually felt he was being discriminated against so started lying.

 

“[Employers] aren’t supposed to discriminate about someone being made redundant but they do. I got tired of explaining to employers. I had to lie in the end but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”

 

He’s now due to start a new job with a salary 20 per cent lower than his original one but still considers himself lucky.

 

“I’m happy to have a job at this stage, beggars can’t be choosers ... It definitely puts it in perspective how fortunate people are to have full time work. I don’t think anyone should take a job for granted, it can happen to anyone.”

 

 

(news.com.au 4/3/14)

[Hedy Elnemr]

Oh! How scary and insecured

[Guest BurgessFamily]

We have just taken on two full time experienced .Net developers, albeit on sub $50k. There is work out there for sure.

[Rabeah]

Besides the 10 year high and my very negative post recently I want you all give an update.

My hubby got the job he applied for! I'm so happy and relieved.

Lately I've posted that he lost his former job due to attending this particular job interview and finishing the shift in production earlier (with approval) and was sacked the day after.

It was worth it because he could land the job! Sometimes we have to take a gamble to get what we want.

[Jessica Berry]

Besides the 10 year high and my very negative post recently I want you all give an update.

My hubby got the job he applied for! I'm so happy and relieved.

Lately I've posted that he lost his former job due to attending this particular job interview and finishing the shift in production earlier (with approval) and was sacked the day after.

It was worth it because he could land the job! Sometimes we have to take a gamble to get what we want.

 

Great to hear it all worked out. Sometimes you can be stuck between a rock and hard place with employers and trying to do the right thing for yourself.

[Rabeah]

Latest update in hubby's 'never ending job story': the recruitment company sent him a text message last week, he could come back *ha, ha*. Australia is the country full of surprises...when you least expect any...

Of course, he did not reply, still happy in the new company.

[Guest ColinOz]

What was he doing? do you know if they're still looking for someone?

Latest update in hubby's 'never ending job story': the recruitment company sent him a text message last week, he could come back *ha, ha*. Australia is the country full of surprises...when you least expect any...

Of course, he did not reply, still happy in the new company.

[richard300]

For me, Adelaide (or some of the southern suburbs) is our families first choice of location for our move to Australia.... Based on things like property prices, climate, beaches (and location to them) things to do for the kids etc, etc.....

 

But i am very glad (based on threads like this) that we have just lodged a 189 instead of a 190 visa application.

 

My wife is a community based 'specialist diabetes' nurse/educator and recently (whilst visiting a GP practice in Kent) worked with a Australian nurse - who also specialised in Diabeties...... Her advice was "Ignore Adelaide, your best bet is Mount Gambier"

 

But you look on a map, and whilst its still South Australia, its 435km away, is not close to a beach (we live right next to the beach here in the UK) and has a totally different climate to that of Adelaide.

[Jessica Berry]

I received the article below as part of an Aussie career newsletter and I would have to agree, the amount of competition for the jobs can be a killer. As I have said before it is not unusual for recruiters to receive anywhere from 200 to 500 applications for jobs (when I worked on one project we had over 900 applications for the company apprenticeship program!). Of course not all of those applications are going to be suitable, but the problem can be if you work in one of those areas where they are receiving this amount of applications and they have a number of quality applicants to choose from. I remember a few years ago a recruiter on the phone to me almost pleading with me and saying "don't accept any other (contract) work before you have spoke to me" because she knew she could place me and make money out of me and I had other agencies offering me work. The recruiters certainly wouldn't be saying that to me now in the current climate because they have so many candidates to choose from and much less work to go around. Having said that if you have a niche skill you are laughing. I know of a job that was advertised and they only had one application and that person was perfect - it only takes one!

 

The suggestion from another article is about the 'hidden' job market and to pursue it (which I would encourage), which is very active in Adelaide and making contacts and networking and putting the word out to people you meet that you are looking for work.

 

 

 

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[TD=class: ecxmcnTextContent, align: left]Only 5 per cent of you used to care; now it’s a third. In fact, they’re now two of Australia’s most worrying words: job security.

 

Alcoa, Holden, Qantas – we can see why. According to the ABS, the most common problem for the jobless is not a lack of skills or experience, it’s the competition out there.

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Edited March 18, 2014 by Jessica Berry