Jobs boss says Government should water fertile ground
Business leaders have warned that there are widening gaps in employment, wage and workplace equality in labour markets worldwide.
As industries are automated and a relentless drive for productivity continues, many traditional jobs are ceasing to exist.
Speaking after the B20 business leaders’ summit this week, a prominent CEO in Australia’s employment market says things can change.
SEEK's Chief Executive Andrew Bassat says from his company’s perspective; good things are happening in Australia, despite an unemployment rate that continues to increase.
“Some of the growth that has been occurring... has been relatively jobless growth, so I think it is a serious issue,” Mr Bassat said in an interview with ABC.
“I was involved in the [B20 Human Capital] Taskforce, and it was interesting because there was clear recognition across all the G20 countries that this is a problem... the risk of jobless growth was common to all.”
“There’s a lot of work that Governments needs to do, companies need to do, and individuals need to do to ensure that jobs do get created.
“Some of that comes from innovation, some of that comes from more aligned educations systems, some of that comes from entrepreneurialism,” he said.
Mr Bassat says that while the main responsibility relies with governments, he admits that “companies can do a lot more”.
“Companies can do a lot more in terms of making sure their needs are understood by educators and by government, they can do more by giving people the opportunity.
“They can do more by promoting innovating and growth within their own companies, to ensure that they grow, they innovate, and jobs will be created.”
“The biggest step than needs to be taken [by the Federal Government] is less on the side of dealing with the unemployed and what they do to be job-ready, and much more about making sure there are jobs available for people who are job-ready.”
He said Government must ensure that it is “thinking about their regulation... not just protecting people who are currently in jobs, but also about letting people get new jobs.”