Tamworth's JobLink Plus calls for compassion as job market tightens on businesses

The official unemployment rate as reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics is at an all time low, but it's most important to get a good sense of what's behind the statistics, JobLink Plus executive lead for trauma informed practice Emily Roy said.

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In a starkly different labour market compared to two years ago, JobLink Plus encourages employers to make changes rather than blame the unemployed.

"There's a lot of compounding factors that prevents someone from being able to take the sort of jobs that are on offer at the moment," she said.

"The things that prevent people from finding and keeping a job, are absolutely still there for many, many people in our community.

"And it's not as simple as what many people would believe."

Some businesses on Tamworth's Peel Street claim that unemployed people offered free training through job providers haven't even shown up.

Ms Roy said it's not as simple as people just preferring to not go to training.

"It's definitely worth us as a community looking at the whole picture of why someone feels unable to either stay in work, or attend when they've been given an opportunity," she said.

"The reasons why people don't work are complex and the people who aren't working right now are, generally speaking, vulnerable people who deserve our compassion and our understanding rather than our judgment.

"One of the things we could do differently as a community is learn to value people above and beyond whether they contribute to our tax system."

She said some recruitment practices lock people out of the market and that employers should be willing and able to recognise that returning to work after a long time can be scary, intimidating and cause anxiety.

Some of the reasons why people struggle to get work include a lack of stable housing, transport, flexibility, childcare, or they are searching for something permanent instead of casual, Ms Roy said.

"For some people, learning how to go to work is like learning a new language and that's hard," she said.

"One of the things that shuts people out of being able to go to work is childcare is unaffordable.

"And there are some measures that are coming into place, but it's a problem right now and it's been a problem for some time."

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