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In the News - March 2011
- The SEEK Employment Index reports steady growth in the economy, notwithstanding the impacts of natural disasters, given that new job advertisements (registered with SEEK) have continued to increase. Reports show a strong growth in December of 4.3% and were followed with an increase of 1.1% in January. Interestingly new job ads were some 22% higher than they were a year earlier. The south eastern states (namely Victoria, NSW & S.A) faired better with increases of 3.4%, 2.1% and 3.1% respectively. As a result of the floods in QLD advertising dropped by 4%. Western Australia remains the strongest state in terms of job adds, although dropping by 0.7% this month, year to date WA had increased by 36.4%;
- Following a recent interpretation of National Employment Laws, employees who leave work may have a little bit more money in their termination pay. Under existing workplace arrangements, employees forfeit the right to untaken annual leave loading when they leave a job. But the Fair Work Ombudsman says that departing award wage earners should now be entitled. Legal opinion received is likely to affect workers employed under the national modern awards which came into effect from July 2010. The interpretation means employers may have to add 17.5% loading to the termination pay, regardless of it being part of the modern award conditions.
- WorkCover reports NSW is working towards harmonised work health and safety laws which will take effect from 1 January 2012. The new WHS Act will replace the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000. It is not significantly different from the many current work health and safety laws across Australia. Much of it is based on policies that are common to many jurisdictions. Under the new laws, the basics of keeping your workplace safe will remain. Those basics include making safety a priority, everyone having a say, identifying and controlling risks, and giving workers the training and supervision they need;
- The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that those employed increased by 24,000 workers to a total of 11,441,500, which translates to an unemployment rate of 5.0%. Of this, Part Time Employment increased whilst Full Time employment decreased. The number of people looking for work (i.e. the Participation Rate) increased to 65.9%;
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