With the federal election just weeks away, retail recruitment firm Retailworld Resourcing is concerned that neither party has talked directly about the industry that is the single largest employment provider in the country, or about creating retail jobs in the sector that employs 1.5 million people and makes up 14 per cent of the Australian workforce.
“After surveying quite a few of our clients who include some of the largest retailers in Australia I am concerned that recent Labour Government policies have impacted retailers and reduced retail jobs particularly in the younger demographic and we haven’t as yet seen the flow on effect that the current policies have caused to youth unemployment in Australia,” said managing director of Retailworld Resourcing John Caldwell.
“The Gillard Government to date has been very vocal about their governments’ reduction to unemployment, however, what about the continued rise in the youth unemployment rates?
“Youth unemployment is on the rise in Australia going from 12.8 per cent in 2008 to its current level of 16.9 per cent in 2010 and we are yet to see the full extent of the Labour Government’s modern awards policy that became affective on January 1 this year.
“Overall, from my research retailers believe that a Liberal Government will see a return to an environment of some financial stability which will indirectly create greater consumer confidence and spending leading to more retail jobs being made available across the board.
“Interestingly this is an issue that is being largely ignored by both parties but it is an issue that doesn’t directly affect the polls. One in two Australian youth join the retail workforce in their teenage years and yet they are unable to vote so it seems both the government and the coalition largely ignore issues that directly concern this group of people,” he concluded.
Founded in 2004, Retailworld Resourcing is a recruitment provider to the retail market with offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Christchurch and Wellington.