This was from a feature on "Today Tonight" last night if you get my drift.

About half of all Australians aged over 45 are out of work. And they are staying unemployed for longer periods than ever.

Full story http://todaytonight.com.au/stories/884011.html

I was just having a rant about this on the 'Financial advice' thread, Chris.

On the news last night , that the Australian government increasng the retirement age to 70yrs!

Great nature trails in Karawara

my 1st ever reply so here goes!!!!
in my experience they only employ teenagers and if you are not a teenager you have to be in work to get another job (catch 22)

It's a sad fact - but oh so true! I am 45 and simply cannot get a job here. Over 450 job applications in the last 12 months to no avail, and I've had just two part time casual jobs in the last 6 months found through friends. Just been told at the last one that 'their budget means my hours have disappeared'. I am on the point of having to sell all my worldy goods and return to the UK, leave my two teenage children here and try to start again, after 13 years in this beautiful country.

It's not much better for teenagers either. My kids are 17 and 18, both have recently lost their jobs. It seems that most employers who do take on juniors (because they can pay the appalling but government sanctioned junior rates of pay) tend to cut the hours of the teens right down to almost nothing when they turn 17 years old, because that's when the pay rates start to rise.

My son was on a traineeship, but as soon as he passed his certificate and was due for a pay rise he was told with no notice that there was no job for him and not to come back the following Monday. The company had already hired another junior on the same traineeship for his position, but at the starting rate of pay, thus saving themselves a mere $30 a week and putting another bright, hard working young man on the back foot and looking for a job. knocking all his self esteem out of him and ruining any plans he had made for the future.

Employers here are just plain unscrupulous. The dollar is the bottom line, always. If a company can find any way to save money and put bigger dividends into their shareholders pockets, then they will. Let's just hope when Latham wins the next Federal election he will make the right changes for the majority of the working Australian population.

You'll probably find it easier to get a job in the UK. Good luck.

Sorry to hear that Wizzy.....

What kind of stuff have you done in the past / looking for?.........

It's a similar scenario here though in many respects Don.

The government has already given women equality as a result of a test case (women used to get the pension at 62 and men at 65) A lady who wanted to work beyond 62 went to the European court which ruled that men and women should be treated equally so guess what the UK government did - lowered the retirement age for men to 62? No, surprise, this would cost them too much, they raised it for women to 65, starting with those born in 1951 or later who must now wait until 65).

Government 'think tanks' have already proposed raising the retirement age above 65 and have suggested no state pension as a possibility in the distant future, with the onus on the individual to provide a private pension for themself. There have been a lot of final salary pension schemes closed to new and existing employees because of the pensions gap so after a recent trend towards earlier retirement, later retirement is now the likely scenario.

Employers everywhere tend to put the 'bottom line' ahead of social responsibility, alas, and I don't think Mark Latham (or Tony Blair) can legislate to do much to make social responsibility a higher priority - not if they want to be (re)elected. It is a sad fact that employers will get rid of apprentices at the end of their training and will get rid of juniors when they get to a certain age.

A practice which is widespread is to employ many part-time workers instead of full time workers because the national insurance contributions which the employer has to make will be lower. Employment statistics in the UK will show that it is also difficult for those over 45 to find a new job if they are made redundant. Of course what a lot of people have done who have been made redundant and got 'the package' (lump sum) is to start up their own business. This seems to be the most realistic way of the Over 45's finding a source of income.

I suppose it has been raised here before many times but there is an absolute scandal as far as British old age pensions goes. If you draw them in Australia they are not indexed-linked from day one. However, if you retire to a country where fewer Brits go it is index-linked. How's that for fair and equal treatment?

OzTennis

Well, as my ex husband said to me today - rather be unemployed in Australia in the sunshine than in the UK in the cold. I have many personal reasons why I should go back to the UK, and many why I cannot. I just wake up every morning, put my smile on my face, and just keep tryng......it's the only thing I can do. Was sad yesterday to see half my furniture be repossed though - but nothing I can't live without.......and I can live without a 68cm TV - the programme content is awful at the moment - apart from Wire In The Blood which is on right now -- ooooooh that Robson is a spunk!

Sorry to hear that. Are you at rock bottom as regards finances? What are your options?

Keep smiling.

All, this is all very confusing if have the 45's are out of work then why are they seeking under the skilled category senior managers it many areas inc sales and marketing??? I am 44 and hope to relocate this July why am I being granted a visa supported by the Australian Institute of management if I am just going to be a drain on the economy in 2 years time???? What is going on is this an exageration and where are all these people based in Syd. CBD??

You are like everyone else, a disposable unit of production.

This can be applied to some industries, but not others. In the power industry for example, if you applied this, nothing would get done as most of the guys are over 45!.

I used to think that but now I have been unemployed here I have changed my mind.