ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie

ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said: “The JobMaker wage subsidy offered a glimmer of hope for young people on jobs in an otherwise devastating Federal Budget for the more than a million people who are unemployed. “It’s clear that young people have been disproportionately impacted by unemployment in this pandemic, however, there are people of all ages who will struggle to get back into employment, including older people suffering discrimination, people with disability, and people with caring responsibilities. “We’re urging that the JobMaker wage subsidy be extended to people over 35 who have been unemployed for a year or more. It’s also crucial that the JobSeeker payment and other income support payments are permanently increased to a rate that allows people to keep a roof over their head and food on the table, as they try to rebuild their lives and get back into the workforce." ACOSS Principal Advisor Dr Peter Davidson said: “Experience with wage subsidies indicates that they can boost employment, especially when the economy is recovering from recession. "Their most important purpose is to encourage employers to hire people who would otherwise be left behind, especially the half a million people of all ages who are unemployed long-term. “Contrary to stereotypes, people unemployed long-term are a diverse group who are unemployed for many different reasons ranging from illness or disability or the interruption of careers by caring responsibilities, to the misfortune of entering or reentering the paid workforce during a recession. “We cannot allow this crisis to leave large numbers of people stuck in unemployment on inadequate income support payments that make it even harder for them to find paid work.”