With the Jobs and Skills Summit kicking off this week, employers are being urged to raise wages and tap under-utilised workforces. | By Caitlin Fitzsimmons niltiac
Economists and experts say Australia’s workforce shortage could be filled by attracting workers with higher wages and recruiting from the underemployed, those with mild disabilities and pensioners.
Brendan Coates, economic policy program director at the Grattan Institute, said genuine skill shortages existed, but the term was overused. In Australia, only 76,000 of the 2.6 million people on the age pension do any paid work. National Seniors Australia estimates this could rise to 400,000, if pensioners could earn employment income without losing their benefits.
“Most employers don’t want you just one day a week, they want you at least two or three days a week for part-time work,” Hussain said. ”Also, when you work, you have to deal with Centrelink, and I’ve not found that a good experience.“ “We have a significant number of our existing caregivers who are on the pension … and they can’t do any more hours because they can only earn [up to the threshold],” Downes said.
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