Will 'jobless number' be boosted?

Job Network changes 'may boost jobless'
Thursday, 26 March 2009
The federal government's overhaul of employment services could leave hundreds of Australians out of work, a group representing the not-for-profit sector says.
The groups who will be responsible for delivering the government's new Job Network could be awarded their contracts as soon as next week.
Jobs Australia is concerned many community job service providers will be forced to close if their contracts are not renewed.
"Organisations that ... for the last 20 years have ... delivered high quality services with high levels of outcomes ... are being told that they don't have business," chief executive David Thompson told ABC radio.
The Australian Greens also fear the new contracts could lead to hundreds of job losses across the sector.
"The government ... will be directly sending hundreds, if not thousands, of people into unemployment when they take the services away from these community organisations," Greens senator Rachel Siewert told ABC radio.
But Employment Participation Minister Brendan O'Connor says the changes will create jobs, particularly in a climate of rising unemployment.
"My priority is to look after job seekers, get them into work, or get them into appropriate training so they can find work when the economy recovers," Mr O'Connor told ABC radio.
"There will be more people working in this field because we are going through very economically difficult times."