4 years ago
JOBSEEKER SNAPBACK WILL RIP $10.3 MILLION PER HOUR FROM ECONOMY
LINDA BURNEY MP
A snapback of the JobSeeker payment to its pre-pandemic base rate would rip $10.3 million from the Australian economy per working hour.
$826 million per fortnight is spent on the Coronavirus supplement for people on JobSeeker, answers to questions on notice through the Senate Committee on COVID-19, reveal.
The Coronavirus supplement – paid at a rate of $550 per fortnight – is scheduled to cease at the end of September.
The Morrison Government is yet to outline a permanent increase to the JobSeeker payment.
$826 million per fortnight is the equivalent of 240,000 jobs*.
The JobSeeker payment supports almost 2 million Australians who are either out of work, or have lost hours at work because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Many vulnerable Australians will be anxious about the level of support that will be available to them after September. This is not helped by ongoing speculation about what the Government may or may not ultimately decide to do.
The temporary introduction of the Coronavirus supplement is an acknowledgement by the Government that the base rate of JobSeeker is too low.
Labor has been calling for a permanent increase to the base rate of JobSeeker for some time, along with business, civil society groups and experts.
A snapback of JobSeeker to its base rate would place millions of Australians at risk of poverty and cost local jobs.
The Government must rule out a snapback.
* Based on the full-time adult average weekly total earnings of $1,720.90 per week – ABS 6302.0
$826 million per fortnight is spent on the Coronavirus supplement for people on JobSeeker, answers to questions on notice through the Senate Committee on COVID-19, reveal.
The Coronavirus supplement – paid at a rate of $550 per fortnight – is scheduled to cease at the end of September.
The Morrison Government is yet to outline a permanent increase to the JobSeeker payment.
$826 million per fortnight is the equivalent of 240,000 jobs*.
The JobSeeker payment supports almost 2 million Australians who are either out of work, or have lost hours at work because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Many vulnerable Australians will be anxious about the level of support that will be available to them after September. This is not helped by ongoing speculation about what the Government may or may not ultimately decide to do.
The temporary introduction of the Coronavirus supplement is an acknowledgement by the Government that the base rate of JobSeeker is too low.
Labor has been calling for a permanent increase to the base rate of JobSeeker for some time, along with business, civil society groups and experts.
A snapback of JobSeeker to its base rate would place millions of Australians at risk of poverty and cost local jobs.
The Government must rule out a snapback.
* Based on the full-time adult average weekly total earnings of $1,720.90 per week – ABS 6302.0