Higher hiring incentive for NSW employers

The NSW government has boosted a payroll tax rebate for businesses that employ workers laid off in mass redundancies.

Premier Barry O'Farrell and Treasurer Mike Baird announced the initiative on Tuesday, saying the rebate rise from $5000 to $6000 would give businesses an extra incentive to hire laid-off workers.

Mr O'Farrell said the latest job figures showed NSW's relative strength in testing economic times but recent large-scale industry readjustments had left a number of workers without jobs.

"Any job loss is concerning, but it is particularly worrying when retrenchments cause significant disruption to a region, or when those jobs are in a specialised field where there are limited opportunities for re-employment," he said.

Mr Baird said the $6000 Fresh Start Support payroll tax rebate included an existing $5000 rebate already available under the government's Jobs Action Plan.

The rebate is for employers who hire workers laid off by city firms that make 100 or more employees redundant, or regional firms that make 50 or more employees redundant and cause significant disruption to an industry or region.