Senior Aussie says she's 'lost' after finding herself up against 179 applicants in job search
Three months ago, Carey Curtis, 56, was doing administrative work for a local real estate agency and making plans for her retirement. Now for the first time in her life she finds herself unemployed.
"I've always worked, I've always managed to find work, I've never been put off a job. I'm lost now," Ms Curtis told A Current Affair.
Curtis is ineligible for JobSeeker due to her partner's income. She jumped straight into searching for a job, but the process has rattled her confidence.
The pandemic has forced all of us into situations we'd never anticipated. For Carey Curtis, that's finding a new job to pay the bills at 56 years of age. A Current Affair
"I did apply for one job and there was something like 179 applicants," Ms Curtis said.
"I've applied for a job at Spotlight and I didn't even get an interview and that was just for working in the shop up here.
"The unemployment challenge is on for young and old," economist Chris Richardson told A Current Affair.
"JobKeeper has sticky taped our economy together so far, but the key challenge is to get people back to work as fast as they can."
"We know from recessions past if you don't get your job back within two years of losing it in a recession, there's a pretty good chance you'll never work again," Mr Richardson added.
The industries contributing most significantly to month-on-month job ad growth are hospitality and tourism, up 138 per cent; trades and services, up 36 per cent; manufacturing, transport and logistics, up 33 per cent. A Current Affair
The pandemic has caused an even faster downturn than the Great Depression, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics today revealing that another 227,000 Australians lost their jobs in May.
The hardest hit were young Australians and women.
The government is currently reviewing both JobKeeper and JobSeeker, with an option on end JobKeeper in September and roll workers over onto JobSeeker. However, it seems unlikely that the Jobseeker amount will remain at the current $1100.
Despite the current economic darkness, Richardson believes there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
"There's a chance we've already seen the worst," he said.
Managing Director Kendra Banks says they're already they are already seeing signs of recovery. A Current Affair
Throughout the pandemic, Seek have been providing month on month data to offer a clearer picture as to how the job market is evolving.
Managing Director Kendra Banks says they're already they are already seeing signs of recovery.
"Seek job ads are growing in all states and territories and are up about 40 per cent compared to last month," Ms Banks told A Current Affair.
The industries contributing most significantly to month-on-month job ad growth are hospitality and tourism, up 138 per cent; trades and services, up 36 per cent; manufacturing, transport and logistics, up 33 per cent.
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