Two key aspects of a person's search for work are the steps taken to find work, and barriers they encounter in obtaining work. Characteristics such as age, sex and education can often influence the person's job search experience and outcomes.
Table 6.16 shows the steps taken by unemployed persons to find a job. The most common step taken was registering with and/or using Centrelink services (545,500), followed by contacting prospective employers (509,700) and answering a newspaper advertisement for a job (200,900).
6.16 JOB SEARCH EXPERIENCE OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS(a), All Active Steps Taken - July 2000
|
| Males
’000 | Females
’000 | Persons
’000 |
|
Registered with and/or used Centrelink services | 368.5 | 177.0 | 545.5 |
Contacted prospective employers | 301.8 | 207.9 | 509.7 |
Answered a newspaper advertisement for a job | 124.9 | 76.0 | 200.9 |
Checked factory noticeboards | 38.1 | 13.9 | 52.1 |
Contacted an employment agency | 118.5 | 67.9 | 186.4 |
Advertised or tendered for work | 26.9 | 17.8 | 44.7 |
Contacted friends or relatives | 118.5 | 69.4 | 188.0 |
|
(a) Excludes persons who have been stood down.
Source: Job Search Experience of Unemployed Persons, Australia (6222.0). |
Difficulties encountered by unemployed persons in finding work are shown in table 6.17. The most commonly reported main difficulties were 'considered too young or too old by employers' and 'too many applicants for available jobs' (both 13%) and 'lacked necessary skills or education' (12%).
The main difficulties in finding work most commonly reported by the long-term unemployed (unemployed for at least one year) were 'considered too young or too old by employers' (23%), 'lacked necessary skills or education' (13%) and 'Own ill health or disability (12%).
6.17 UNEMPLOYED PERSONS(a), Main Difficulty in Finding Work - July 2000
|
| Duration of current period of unemployment (weeks)
| | |
Main difficulty in finding work | 1 and under 8
’000 | 8 and
under 26
’000 | 26 and
under 52
’000 | 1 and under
2 years
’000 | 2 years
and over
’000 | Total
’000 | Average
duration
weeks |
|
Considered too young or too old by employers | 12.6 | 11.1 | 13.8 | 8.8 | 26.7 | 73.0 | 91 |
No vacancies at all | 10.7 | 10.5 | 10.9 | 5.4 | 7.8 | 45.3 | 55 |
No vacancies in line of work | 15.9 | 10.6 | *5.0 | *3.3 | *4.8 | 39.6 | 36 |
Insufficient work experience | 17.0 | 10.3 | 12.3 | 5.2 | 9.8 | 54.6 | 44 |
Too many applicants for available jobs | 18.7 | 23.0 | 15.7 | *4.8 | 9.2 | 71.3 | 39 |
Lacked necessary skills or education | 19.2 | 13.9 | 10.8 | 10.7 | 9.6 | 64.1 | 58 |
Too far to travel, transport problems | 8.1 | 8.0 | 6.3 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 36.4 | 55 |
Own ill health or disability | 6.2 | 5.7 | *4.5 | 6.6 | 12.0 | 35.1 | 87 |
Language difficulties | *2.3 | *2.2 | *3.0 | *1.9 | *4.3 | 13.7 | 83 |
Unsuitable hours | 9.6 | 7.0 | *3.9 | *1.0 | **0.4 | 21.9 | 16 |
Difficulties with childcare, other family responsibilities | *4.9 | *2.0 | *1.2 | *0.9 | *2.9 | 11.8 | 69 |
Other difficulties(b) | 9.1 | *4.0 | 5.6 | *2.3 | *3.1 | 24.0 | 61 |
No difficulties reported | 36.3 | 12.0 | *3.0 | *1.5 | **0.7 | 53.5 | 11 |
Total | 170.5 | 120.3 | 96.0 | 59.1 | 98.3 | 544.3 | 53 |
|
(a) Excludes persons who have been stood down.
(b) Includes persons who reported difficulties because of ethnic background. |
Source: Job Search Experience of Unemployed Persons, Australia (6222.0). |
Information about methods of job attainment for successful jobseekers is shown in table 6.18. Successful jobseekers are persons who obtained a job for wages or salary in the 12 months to July 2000. The majority (77%) of successful jobseekers approached their employer. Most of this group (60%) had prior knowledge that the job was available. The main sources of this knowledge were friends, relatives or company contacts (42% of those with prior knowledge) and newspaper advertisements (35%).
6.18 SUCCESSFUL JOBSEEKERS, Method of Attainment - July 2000
|
| First job ever held
’000 | Had worked before
’000 | Total
’000 |
|
Jobseeker approached employer | 187.1 | 1,313.0 | 1,500.1 |
Had no prior knowledge that job was available - | 78.4 | 519.1 | 597.5 |
First step taken - | | | |
- Tendered or advertised for work | *3.0 | 28.6 | 31.7 |
- Contacted likely employers | 47.3 | 253.8 | 301.1 |
- Contacted friends or relations | 12.4 | 82.9 | 95.3 |
- Registered with or used Centrelink services | *3.2 | 25.0 | 28.1 |
- Other steps taken | 12.5 | 128.8 | 141.3 |
Had prior knowledge that job or work was available - | 108.7 | 793.9 | 902.6 |
- Knowledge was obtained through | | | |
- Centrelink | *4.7 | 21.0 | 25.7 |
- Employment agency | *3.2 | 61.0 | 64.2 |
- School programs | *3.1 | 5.2 | 8.2 |
- Newspaper advertisements | 25.6 | 292.6 | 318.2 |
- Internet sites | *1.1 | 13.4 | 14.5 |
- Friends, relatives, company contacts | 53.9 | 323.5 | 377.4 |
- Sign or notice on employer's premises | 7.5 | 23.1 | 30.6 |
- Other source | 9.5 | 54.3 | 63.9 |
Employer approached jobseeker | 45.4 | 393.7 | 439.1 |
Total | 232.5 | 1,706.7 | 1,939.2 |
|
Source: Successful and Unsuccessful Job Search Experience, Australia (6245.0). |