There are multiple reports from business bodies that say Australia requires an unemployment rate of around 3.5%. Otherwise there is no pool of applicants and all that happens is head hunting at higher salaries to poach staff. One of the highest demographics for long term unemployed is women aged over 50. They were trained as typists and pre computer. They left work to raise a family and now find it impossible to get back in when competing with a 20 year old.
A lot of these women now find voluntary work at various agencies and contribute to the essential services they provide. However these volunteers are paid the unemployment benefit rate of about $20 an hour. They are required to work 30 hours a fortnight ( similar to work for the dole). But they are counted as unemployed in the centrelink stats.
