Tuesday 3rd December 2013

Government closes popular jobs program

by Alan Thornhill

The Federal government is suspending a plan designed to help the long-term unemployed because it proved too popular.

The Assistant Minister for Employment, Luke Hartsuyker, said the Wage Connect program, which subsidises employers who take on people who have been unemployed for a long time, will be put on hold to new applicants from Friday.

He said the program had been “oversubscribed” recently, for the second time, and blamed “Labor mismanagement.”

“Once again we have an example of the previous Government’s failure to responsibly roll out an important and essential service,” Mr Hartsuyker said.

“It let down job seekers, and employers who would have given them a chance,” he said.

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Alan Thornhill is a parliamentary press gallery journalist.
Private Briefing is updated daily with Australian personal finance news, analysis, and commentary.

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