Media spotlight on employment services
We are collecting examples of job agency abuse and related news media. If you have a story to add, please send it to us here.
ParentsNext needs to be replaced, inquiry finds
1 March 2023, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Parliamentary panel calls…
Jobactive virus kickbacks top $500 million
29 August 2020, The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton. Access the full article here. Government policies…
Unemployed person forced to travel 60km to meet job agent
15 July 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Another says experience…
Australia’s billion-dollar welfare-to-work system gave recipients fake CVs — with people’s real details
15 February 2023, Crikey, Cam Wilson. Access the full article here. One person whose number…
Australia has its lowest unemployment rate in decades. Why are some jobseekers struggling to find work?
18 August 2022, SBS News, Jessica Bahr. Access the full article here. Australia’s unemployment rate…
‘Where is their obligation to us?’ Unemployed workers protest the Albanese government’s new welfare obligations
1 June 2022, Crikey, Cam Wilson. Access the full article here. For unemployed workers who…
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Too late to can new employment services system, Employment Minister
19 June 2022, Guardian Australia, Sarah Martin. Access the full article here. Tony Burke aims to make scheme ‘logical’, despite unemployment advocates’ calls for halt to controversial program The employment minister, Tony Burke, says it is too late to scrap a controversial points-based mutual obligation system…
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Analysis: In Australia’s welfare sector obligations are ‘mutual’, but profits flow only one way
6 August 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. As jobseekers face ‘humiliating’ tasks to maintain payments, vast network of job agencies rakes in hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars Two words make the money go round in Australia’s multi-billion dollar welfare-to-work…
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Podcast: Job seekers sent to body language courses for job agents to profit
1 September 2022, Guardian Australia, Presented by Laura Murphy-Oates and Reported by Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full audio here. Jobseekers are being forced to travel hundreds of kilometres, miss work and complete training courses they don’t need to qualify for unemployment benefits. Luke Henriques-Gomes explains to Laura Murphy-Oates why…
Employment services survey
The Punishment for Profit report is based on hundreds of responses to surveys conducted by the Antipoverty Centre. This research is ongoing. If you are in Workforce Australia, Disability Employment Services or a similar program, we welcome any information you are able to share about your experiences.
