A coalition plan to boost the number of older Australians in the workforce aims to make them an economic asset, as well as a social and cultural one.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott on Wednesday announced payments of up to $3250 for businesses that employ a worker aged over 50, who receives a Government benefit.

The Senior Employment Incentive Payment would begin in mid-2011 under a Coalition Government, he said.

"I think that older people are an asset, and I want them to be an economic asset as well as a social and cultural asset," he told reporters in Brisbane.

Mr Abbott said some employers were not as generous towards senior job seekers as they should be.

"It's not enough to back the employment of seniors with mere words and good wishes, it must be backed with hard benefit," he said, before handing over to Opposition Seniors Spokeswoman Bronwyn Bishop to make further policy announcements.

Read more: * STOP PRESS - Abbott makes older Australians assets!

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released their latest employment data for June 2010.

JUNE KEY FIGURES

		May 2010	Jun 2010	May 10 to Jun 10		Jun 09 to Jun 10
Trend
	Employed persons ('000)	11 057.3	11 077.6	20.4		2.8	%
	Unemployed persons ('000)	606.3	603.4	-2.9		-8.6	%
	Unemployment rate (%)	5.2	5.2	0.0	pts	-0.6	pts
	Participation rate (%)	65.1	65.1	0.0	pts	-0.2	pts
Seasonally Adjusted
	Employed persons ('000)	11 054.8	11 100.7	45.9		3.3	%
	Unemployed persons ('000)	598.6	598.4	-0.2		-9.6	%
	Unemployment rate (%)	5.1	5.1	0.0	pts	-0.7	pts
	Participation rate (%)	65.1	65.2	0.1	pts	0.0	pts

Significantly, the unemployment rate and numbers of unemployed are down on the same time last year, on both the raw data and seasonally adjusted figures.  Employment sentiment remains Cautious at best for now, with many business people indicating they feel another 12 - 18 months is required before real confidence returns to the markets. Once that business confidence returns, so too should job opportunities.

Read more: Labour Force Australia - June 2010

Ron Browne, Director of PLUS40, was approached by one of our strategic alliance partners - Baby Boomers LifeChange - to contribute an article to an e-Book they are publishing on all aspects of life for people 50 years and older.  Ron wrote and they have published an article called "So you want to keep working..."

We'll let you know when the e-Book is available (through Baby Boomers LifeChange website), but in the meantime, have a read of Ron's article for some great tips on how to get your next job - click here

DISCOURAGED JOB SEEKERS

Recently released figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reporting on Persons not in the Labour Force in September 2009, shows there were 111,800 discouraged job seekers aged 15 years and over. This has increased from 73,900 in 2008.  

Characteristics of discouraged job seekers aged 15 years and over in September 2009 include:

• 58,200 (52%) were aged 55 years and over;
• 59,500 were women;
• 95,900 had worked before, of whom 16% had worked less than 12 months ago and 26% who had last worked between one and three years ago;
• 15,300 had worked in the previous 12 months (19.3% of men and 8.7% of women);
• 44,400 had looked for work in the previous 12 months (33% of men and 46% of women); and
• 64,000 intended to or might enter the labour force in the next 12 months, of whom 63% preferred to work part-time.

Read more: Mature Aged Top Discouraged Job Seekers List!

Career Renewal—Job Retention

 This initiative will help mature age workers keep a job with their current employer and/or transfer their skills to younger workers. It will commence from 1 July 2010 and includes:

• 2000 training packages to allow eligible mature age workers to retain a job with their current employer, including through training to transition to a role as a workplace assessor, supervisor or trainer to support younger workers/apprentices.
• Career Renewal Support: face-to-face assistance and training for mature age workers at risk of losing their job due to a health condition, disability or injury, to help them keep their job.
• 50 Golden Gurus funding grants to organisations delivering the Golden Gurus program, to support the delivery of their program and to allow them to pay for training to help a Golden Guru secure a mentoring role with a host employer or training organisation.

Read more: New Government Programme for Mature Age Workers