UGS Video

Youth Unemployment in Australia

With a drastic rise in youth unemployment in the past two years, a need for more unskilled jobs is crucial. Although the Australian government has recently proposed a new ‘earn or learn’ scheme to help keep youth off welfare benefits, this is only shifting the problem elsewhere. Education is not necessarily an answer to unemployment. The government’s proposal aims to create more skilled jobs for youth. However, people often turn to unqualified jobs to help them through different parts of their life, and this should not be shamed.

Illustration: Glen Le Lievre.

The ‘earn or learn’ system will only disenfranchise youth even more than they already feel. The issue of unemployment does not boil down to a lack of skills; it is rather, a lack of jobs. While individuals take the blame for their inability to find a job, the government is sitting back and avoiding the underlining issue.

A common misconception surrounding unemployment rates is that employment opportunities are falling. However, this is only common during recessions- it is rare for employment to decrease. The issue now is that youth are leaving school or university and entering an insufficient job market. The economy is not growing at a rate that can accommodate the people entering the job market.

While Australian media frequently covers factories closing and industries slowing, the government continues to turn the blame to ‘lazy youth’ when discussing the unemployment. It is in fact the governments failing of keeping industries alive and thriving in Australia, but instead they continue to accuse the youth of contributing to unemployment rates. This stigma the government has against its youth is creating a negative culture. The disheartening, repetitive notion of job searching is causing deep-rooted issues amongst youths. Financial stress on individuals that have just left school or university is undeserved, yet the government is showing no compassion.  

Additionally, the government is often raising the retirement age and forcing the elderly to stay in work for longer. This is in turn effects job opportunities. The elderly want to retire at a reasonable age, but the government withholds their pension payments. While on the other hand, youth are struggling to find jobs, and subsequently end up on welfare payments. It’s a vicious cycle, in which the government is not attempting to fix, but are instead shifting the blame.

The 7.30 report presented a detailed view on youth unemployment: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2014/s3994585.htm