Is unemployment so low?

**dobbo** · 9th March 2007, 05:14 PM

Just out of interest what is the average wage nowadays?

**jase** · 9th March 2007, 05:18 PM

I'll give any boilermakers, fitters, welders or heavy mechanics a job
we just can't get any

job is in western suburbs melb (but I live near kilmore 80kms nth) & travel

trades like brikie, sparkies ect are in huge demand and are knocking back work or quoting double what it's worth casue they don't really want it but will "work it in" for big $$ (I was a sparkie and still know a few)
so it all depends on what you do and where you are located
I agree lots of country areas are poor off and we no can't compete on the "world" market (read - China, india, aisa in general)

our bussiness / we are being assulted but imported asian poduct at the moment and they under quote us by 20% every time

we are delivering a new tanker next week, the customer is proud aussie and wouldn't by the imported crap
He asked us to put something on the back of his truck
he is ACT based and will be driving around with this on his new B double

HOLMWOOD HIGHGATE PROUDLY 100% AUSTRALIAN OWNED
QUALITY TANKERS BUILT IN AUSTRALIA BY PROUD AUSTRALIANS
HELP CARRY AUSTRALIA'S FUTURE BUY AUSTRALIAN
REJECT CHEAP IMPORTED PRODUCTS

Jase

**Quiggers** · 9th March 2007, 05:21 PM

Originally Posted by jase

I'll give any boilermakers, fitters, welders or heavy mechanics a job
we just can't get any

job is in western suburbs melb (but I live near kilmore 80kms nth) & travel

trades like brikie, sparkies ect are in huge demand and are knocking back work or quoting double what it's worth casue they don't really want it but will "work it in" for big $$ (I was a sparkie and still know a few)
so it all depends on what you do and where you are located
I agree lots of country areas are poor off and we no can't compete on the "world" market (read - China, india, aisa in general)

our bussiness / we are being assulted but imported asian poduct at the moment and they under quote us by 20% every time

we are delivering a new tanker next week, the customer is proud aussie and wouldn't by the imported crap
He asked us to put something on the back of his truck
he is ACT based and will be driving around with this on his new B double

HOLMWOOD HIGHGATE PROUDLY 100% AUSTRALIAN OWNED
QUALITY TANKERS BUILT IN AUSTRALIA BY PROUD AUSTRALIANS
HELP CARRY AUSTRALIA'S FUTURE BUY AUSTRALIAN
REJECT CHEAP IMPORTED PRODUCTS

Jase

good on ya jase and your client, we need more of that

GQ

**mns488** · 9th March 2007, 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by Quiggers

William:

The problem you face is your age - so many employers have HR staff which are babies and want to surround themselves with like minded babies....

Babies get short shrift with me (not all) but I'd employ seniors before babies anytime...

Too answer you question, the unemployment situation is very serious, particularly in the non cap city areas - the govt is (as usual) fudging the figures. IE: If you work for just one hour per week you are not unemployed, (but you're not really employed, either)...

I know of a lot of people who are 50+ who'd like a full time job or even a 20-30 hour a week gig, but can't get one...

GQ

Hi GQ,

I disagree with "babies" employing like minded people, although it might be a trade thing?

In my field (accounting), the industry is screaming for people and our company does look at the 50+ candidates. There are some great 50 + people but, there is also the 50+ person who struggles to take instructions from someone half their age which can be very problematic.

But i do agree with the govt fudging figures part

**BigJon** · 9th March 2007, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by dobbo

Just out of interest what is the average wage nowadays?

I think it is $53k or thereabouts.

**dmdigital** · 9th March 2007, 05:39 PM

Just get into the resource sector. Crying out for labour - skilled and unskilled - in the NT.

I've seen jobs for Stop/Go traffic sign holders paying $1600 a week!

**Quiggers** · 9th March 2007, 05:57 PM

mns: yes you do have a point there, there are some 50+ which should be in a nursing home, yet some others could out do their kids in 'being like umm you know totally out there'

it depends on the person, but having worked with some HR's in some big ops here, they sometmes live a life in a glass case....

I had a biz with 200 pax at one stage and it kinda grew like a cancer, so when push came to shove, the yuppie lot got the flick, the seniors stayed

I don't mind people having a bit of free time, but when they bitch and moan about the quality of the company supplied barista, then there's a lack of real work issue.....

GQ

**isuzurover** · 9th March 2007, 06:18 PM

I work in Engineering R&D, and we have a few positions which have been repeatedly advertised and we have been unable to find anyone suitably qualified.

**away** · 9th March 2007, 07:25 PM

Come to WA. If you can't find work here...you ain't looking. Unemployment rate is down to 3% and these are mostly the "unemployable". My daughter worked at an employment service until a few weeks ago and she reckons the only people left on her books are the dregs that don't want a job anyway.

**JDNSW** · 9th March 2007, 07:46 PM

I am one of those who was chucked out as too old in my fifties. I could probably get a job today - if I wanted to move to Perth (but I don't). There are a few interesting comments I can make on this thread.

1. The government fudges the figures - but they always have! While the real unemployment is higher than the quoted figures, it always has been, probably by about the same amount.

2. How easy it is to find a job depends as always on where you are and what you can do. In general labouring jobs have been decreasing for the last hundred years as machines have taken over, but the number of people prepared to do this sort of work has also been decreasing as educational levels have increased, so it is a matter of the balance between these trends.

3. Skills that are in high demand are those that take a significant time to learn and/or those that have artificial barriers to entry such as required certificates that are harder to get than are justified. Typically trades and skills such as nursing, (or for that matter anything in medicine), engineering, some earth sciences.

4. Manufacturing has decreased to 25% of the economy in the last twenty years - but it never was much more than 30%. And like everything else, it has become less labour intensive, so fewer jobs - a good example being GMH's latest announced cuts; not because of less cars, but better production methods.

5. One of the main reasons that there is a skills shortage is that businesses (and Government Departments!) have failed to train their future needs. It is hard to fault them for this - it is impossible to keep the ones you train; your competitors steal them by offering more pay etc, still costs them less than training them themselves, and the high interest (current rates are high by historic and international standards) policies pursued by governments of all colours since Whitlam makes long term investment (such as training) bad management.
Another reason is exemplified by nursing - there are plenty of them trained but the average time they stay in nursing is about eighteen months! You have to ask why? Obviously mainly pay and conditions - most of nurses work for governments so there is little choice of employer, and the others simply copy the "standard" terms and conditions, so there is little incentive for governments or anyone else to give good enough conditions to keep staff. I suspect it is more to do with conditions than pay, things like always short of staff, ridiculous red tape, management politics, that sort of thing.

John

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