Recruitment of Indigenous jobseekers goes backwards
The number of Indigenous jobseekers who secured work went backwards in the last quarter against the overall trend, according to Adelaide-based Workskil Australia.
Total new hires among jobseekers using the services of not-for-profit Workskil Australia rose by 0.9 per cent in the June 2024 quarter – a slight uptick driven by an increase in logistics and retail businesses hiring workers.
But Indigenous employment in the same quarter decreased by 4.6 per cent nationally, with significant reductions apparent in the hospitality and tourism sector (down 20.3 per cent on the March quarter) according to Workskil’s latest ‘Work Watch’ report.
The decrease in hiring of Indigenous workers was more severe in South Australia – down 14 per cent on the previous quarter.
Indigenous customers make up 20.3 per cent of commenced Workskil clients – “an overrepresentation” according to the organisation which said Indigneous residents account for 3.8 per cent of the country’s population.
Further, Indigenous employment in the June quarter accounted for 15.6 per cent of total new hires. This quarter was the first time Indigenous employment had fallen since Workskil started tracking data in the March 2022 quarter.
“Generally it’s fairly equivalent – it all goes up and so does our First Nations placements – but this is the first time we’ve seen it go the opposite way,” Workskil CEO Nicole Dwyer told InDaily.
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“This is only over one quarter, but it may be a sign of things to come.”
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Hiring of Indigenous jobseekers in the trade and services sector fell 14.4 per cent in the quarter, while the hospitality and tourism sector saw a drop of 20.3 per cent.
Meanwhile, the agriculture, animals and conservation industries reduced hiring of Indigenous jobseekers at Workskil by 56 per cent quarter on quarter.
“This is extremely concerning, particularly when several industries saw significant growth in hiring in the quarter,” the Work Watch report said.
“More must be done to remove barriers for First Nations people entering employment if Australia is to achieve the Closing the Gap national targets.
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“This will need to include strategies to reduce stigma and discrimination that act as barriers to employment for First Nations job seekers.”
Dwyer said Workskil partnered with employers that are committed to hiring Indigenous jobseekers.
“We also provide specific mentoring for Indigenous people once they get into work to sort out any issues that might pop up: financial support, training support, uniforms, licences – name it, we do it,” she said.
Overall, hiring of all jobseekers rose by 0.9 per cent in the June quarter, with a 14.7 per cent rise in new hires within the transport and logistics sector driven by surging demand for residential deliveries and e-commerce.
A 22.4 per cent rise across the retail sector helped offset a 1.5 per cent fall in trades and services recruitment.
“Over the last couple of years we’ve seen a minor contraction in builders and labourers, which is odd given that the demand for housing is so high at the moment,” Dwyer said.
“But we are definitely seeing some construction businesses under stress and builders, labourers are usually the unskilled market in the construction industries and they tend to be more casualised and the first to be let go when things tighten up a bit.”
Sales assistant jobs rebounded in the quarter – up 21.9 per cent – which provided more opportunities for female jobseekers who traditionally take on the majority of those positions according to Workskil.
Manufacturing saw 21.5 per cent growth in hires, including a 38.6 per cent rise for factory process workers on “resurgent industry activity”.
New employment for jobseekers from a refugee visa background accounted for 3.7 per cent of total hires in the quarter, up from 2.9 per cent.
The top 10 hiring industries in the June 2024 quarter:
- Trades & Services
- Hospitality & Tourism
- Transport & Logistics
- Retail
- Manufacturing
- Administration & Office Support
- Community Services
- Education & Training
- Health & Medical
- Customer Service & Call Centre
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