pommie bastard

Most of us have earned in both countries and you think theres no poverty here dream on ,its far harder to get a living wage in Australia than the UK even for the well educated.

“Over the past two years the number of children living in jobless households has increased from 680,000 in June 2000 to around 850,000 in 2002 according to a recent Family and Community Services publication� explained Russell Rollason, Executive Officer of Anglicare Australia. “Not only do these children face a significant risk of living in poverty but also risk handing on disadvantage to their children�.

While Australia has enjoyed economic growth and declining unemployment for most of the past decade, that prosperity doesn't appear to have flowed down to many of those at the bottom of the economic tree.

A new report commissioned by the Smith Family has concluded there are nearly 2.5 million Australians living in poverty, which it defined as a weekly income of $416 for a family of four or $225 for an individual and that poverty levels have increased over the past 10 years.

Florida_03

Yes I am, by choice. Just left my $95k clerical job in Australia to move to the US to do some real engineering.

chippy

Is the $95k significant ? Is it considered a respectful wage ?

Florida_03

As a breadwinner, with wife at home and two young children, on that wage we got by. We got nothing from the government except a huge tax bill every year. It is better if both work and each earn less. So the Australian way is to reward you when you do not earn too much, does that make sense?

chippy

Perfect sense. It's no different here. The bulk of my tax is paid at 40% (would be 43% in Aus I think) which is legalised robery as far as I'm concerned.

Is there not a fly in your ointment here though? Okay, you both work, pay less tax etc., but what about the quality of your home life as a family? Does this not diminish with the wife at work?

lynnj

PB

Did i say there was no poverty in australia! I was merely pointing out that it is also hard to earn a living wage in the UK.

Lynn

Carrianne

I see Oz a chance to use my business acumen, cheek and risk taking to make some money one my own business idea's I have, first kids though.

Life anywhere is what you make it and about the risks and challenges you are prepared to take, follow your gut instinct and you will never, ever go wrong, see an oppurtunity seize it, that's my motto. Bring it on I say, the "jobs" I am looking for are plenty but I imagine will be hard getting into, but if I don't get I shall consider setting up on my own.

If anyone as seen the UK programme " I show you who's boss" well that's me. So I love doing that kind of work, not everyone's cup of tea and I love listening & chatting to people to "get to know" who can help.

so when I get there selling drinks on the beach job here I come

wizzywozza

No one has mentioned here that the low wages in Australia can be partly blamed on the 'Award' system that is in place. Every job has an award rate which is set either by the State or Federal government, and employers are under no obligation to pay more than this - therefore wages remain low.

It is not easy to find a job here - in any field from the skilled to the unskilled, the job market is very, very competitive. I have applied for around 420 jobs over 10 months - total of 5 interviews as a result and no job offer.

There is a certain amount of nepotism as far as getting jobs is concerned. It really is WHO you know. Finally after 10 months of unemployment I have a job. It's unskilled, bloody hard work, the wages are poor, but I am working at last. I got this through a friend who pulled a few strings.

Those of you who say start your own business up have to remember that not all of us are cashed up and in a position to do so. I have a wonderful idea for a business, I know it will make money, I have done my research, and a business plan, but sadly I just don't have the capital I need to start it, and with a record of unemployment I cannot get a bank loan as yet.

To the person who said to a poster to start a cleaning business and employ 'mums' to clean houses - this is an area that is oversaturated, as are lawn mowing rounds, odd job men etc. Mums need a full living wage too, not just a few hours cleaning a week.

Don't forget that a lot of jobs that just about anyone could do in the UK require licences and qualifications here, or you need to be under 17 years old because some employers prefer to pay junior wages.

OK rant over - it's not easy to get a job, but it IS possible.

SteveBannister

Hi, wizzywozza, great to speak to you again. Sorry to hear that you've been out of work, hope you're OK now. I'll be over to Adelaide as soon as that envelope drops through the letterbox, If you tell me what field your idea is in (you don't have to give too much away) I might be able to help, as you've helped me in the past. After all, I coming over with a few ideas myself. Email me if you want.

Steve.

Wilf

Much as you can be congratulated on your determination, and though you may choose to see what has happened in a different light, I think your post says it all.

I think that to have to take 10 months and 420 applications to get a job and even then it is unskilled, low paid, and came through a friend pulling strings, as you say, is damning evidence of the poor jobs situation in Oz.

I admire your tenacity, but even I am shocked at how bad you have found things to be and I already have a very low opinion of the pom job market here.

No doubt someone may see this and think "You just got to get out there and grab it by the horns..." sort of thing, but there is a limit to that and I think Oz these days has crossed it. Frankly, Oz is just not worth the effort required to get a start here any more. Perhaps that is why more and more clever ozzie kids are leaving for careers overseas every year.

Florida_03

This got me thinking of where a few friends from uni and work have gone.

Portland Oregon working on video compression algorithms.
Lund Sweden on solar terrestrial physics.
Orlando Florida on defense projects.
Reading Pennsylvania on nationwide leasing database development.
London on automated software manufacture.
Spain on ESA projects.

Just a few, but high percentage (don't have that many), of my close aussie friends who have moved offshore. Interestingly none have mentioned coming back.

Wilf

It sounds like these jobs need a good level of training and education and that is exactly what I mean. What is the point of all this education in Oz if they have to go overseas for rewarding careers? To my mind, Oz is not keeping up with the rest of the world when it comes to the work of the future and it is all very well for a few poms coming here to say "great, who needs to be modern?" but that will be no good for the young people of the future. Only an idiot likes working at well below their potential. Poms may not mind for a bit because Oz is a novelty for them, but it is not a novelty for Ozzie kids and they need good jobs, not boring rubbish - this is a bugbear with me. I know bright kids who cannot get apprenticeships now so I think even the tradesmen are being tight and not taking kids on for training up.

Florida_03

There is much of the self and little of the whole that I hear so much these days from the robbers of the future. Could these people also be the same future members of the cash economy who's avoidance of their burden of tax rewards nobody but themselves. I guess that's it then.

Wilf

Yes, just what any country needs - immos/visitors working without paying tax. Oz and the UK both have large black economies. These tend to be the same people who go on about refugees getting government money and the unemployed being paid too much too. They do not see themselves as part of the problem while they are living off the money of old people paying taxes and kids going without a decent school building.

I have always paid my taxes and always will. I am sure you are the same. Some of us have to be the "fools" otherwise we would all be living like these grasping ratbags and have no schools, universities, healtcare, etc. It is never easy to live properly, giving a damn about other people, but I suppose some of us have to?

Florida_03

You know the horrible thing is I DO feel more like a fool now than ever before. A close inlaw of mine was talking to me recently about his cash in hand jobs, he's a carpenter. He wanted me to help him answer questions for his contractor's licence. He has always made more than me in real terms. We're good friends but I'm feel more and more bitter. So fool me. Should have joined the crowd, but conscience is my pillow.