Unemployment among older Australians a national disaster, ag
Nov 3, 2013 13:20:39 GMT 7
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Post by scallywag on Nov 3, 2013 13:20:39 GMT 7
www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-02/older-people-struggle-to-reenter-workforce/5065854
Unemployment among older Australians a national disaster, age discrimination commissioner says
How old is too old to be looking for a new job? It is a question many Australians will soon have to ask themselves, if they have not already.
Australians are living longer, and need to pay for it, often by working until much later in life than expected.
But for those who have retired, re-entering the workforce can be extremely difficult.
Bob Massie, 77, recently returned to work after a long period searching for a job.
"I think we've got to be realistic and say a lot of employers would be scared to take on older people," he said.
Mr Massie retired from a 38-year teaching career in 2001, and says he needed to return to work for financial reasons.
But he struggled to find a job before being given a chance to tutor at Evocca College in Ipswich, west of Brisbane.
"I even went to one of the pizza places... and I spoke to the guy there and he said put something in writing, drop it in," Mr Massie said.
"So I did, and bless me I've never heard from them."
Mr Massie's experience is not unusual in Australia.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show about one-third of older people who have given up looking for work say it is because employers think they are too old.
"When you get laughed at not once, not twice, not three times, but four times... and told 'look don't even bother applying because there's nothing for you', you feel like telling a few people where to go, and not in very nice terms either I might add," Mr Massie said.
High unemployment 'a national disaster': commissioner
Sixty-eight per cent of all age discrimination complaints to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission in Australia are about employment.
"We lose over $10 billion a year by having people unemployed, who could be employed were it not for age discrimination," age discrimination commissioner Susan Ryan said.
Ms Ryan says the implications are not only bad for individuals.
"It's a national disaster. It's a disaster for them and a disaster for our economy," she said.
That is because Australians are living longer than ever before, and costing the government more to support.
Statistics released earlier this week show there are 140,000 unemployed Australians aged between 50 and 64 receiving the Newstart allowance from Centrelink.
"Now that's all public outlay. It's a very small amount of money for the unemployed person getting it, but it's a huge outlay for the government," Ms Ryan said.
"Those people could and should be working and contributing."
The number of people who are working past retirement age has been increasing for the past decade, a trend that is predicted to continue.
That means there will be more people like Mr Massie, looking for work at an older age.
"The people trying to get back into work, most of them would be driven by the need for some extra funding or finances," Mr Massie said.
He says he is enjoying his new-found financial freedom.
"I have my new kitchen designed, I have the colour of the carpet that's going on the floor, I'm going to refurbish my unit and I'll enjoy doing it," he said.
Unemployment among older Australians a national disaster, age discrimination commissioner says
How old is too old to be looking for a new job? It is a question many Australians will soon have to ask themselves, if they have not already.
Australians are living longer, and need to pay for it, often by working until much later in life than expected.
But for those who have retired, re-entering the workforce can be extremely difficult.
Bob Massie, 77, recently returned to work after a long period searching for a job.
"I think we've got to be realistic and say a lot of employers would be scared to take on older people," he said.
Mr Massie retired from a 38-year teaching career in 2001, and says he needed to return to work for financial reasons.
But he struggled to find a job before being given a chance to tutor at Evocca College in Ipswich, west of Brisbane.
"I even went to one of the pizza places... and I spoke to the guy there and he said put something in writing, drop it in," Mr Massie said.
"So I did, and bless me I've never heard from them."
Mr Massie's experience is not unusual in Australia.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show about one-third of older people who have given up looking for work say it is because employers think they are too old.
"When you get laughed at not once, not twice, not three times, but four times... and told 'look don't even bother applying because there's nothing for you', you feel like telling a few people where to go, and not in very nice terms either I might add," Mr Massie said.
High unemployment 'a national disaster': commissioner
Sixty-eight per cent of all age discrimination complaints to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission in Australia are about employment.
"We lose over $10 billion a year by having people unemployed, who could be employed were it not for age discrimination," age discrimination commissioner Susan Ryan said.
Ms Ryan says the implications are not only bad for individuals.
"It's a national disaster. It's a disaster for them and a disaster for our economy," she said.
That is because Australians are living longer than ever before, and costing the government more to support.
Statistics released earlier this week show there are 140,000 unemployed Australians aged between 50 and 64 receiving the Newstart allowance from Centrelink.
"Now that's all public outlay. It's a very small amount of money for the unemployed person getting it, but it's a huge outlay for the government," Ms Ryan said.
"Those people could and should be working and contributing."
The number of people who are working past retirement age has been increasing for the past decade, a trend that is predicted to continue.
That means there will be more people like Mr Massie, looking for work at an older age.
"The people trying to get back into work, most of them would be driven by the need for some extra funding or finances," Mr Massie said.
He says he is enjoying his new-found financial freedom.
"I have my new kitchen designed, I have the colour of the carpet that's going on the floor, I'm going to refurbish my unit and I'll enjoy doing it," he said.
