A very interesting article.

[catsnknots]

‘Death of hope’ for young people who grow up with jobless parents

Young  people whose parents are both unemployed are less satisfied in school, less likely to be working part time or planning to go to university, and are highly worried about family conflict, a Mission Australia report has found.

The national Jobless Families Report, to be released today, shows there is a “death of hope” in jobless families, with about 50 per cent of young people in this group reporting a lack of confidence in their ability to get a job in their community.

The report found that, when compared with other youths, young people in jobless families were twice as likely to report feeling either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their studies, half as likely to be undertaking part-time or casual work and 15 per cent less likely to plan to go to university.

They were at least 10 per cent likelier to report family conflict as a major concern.

Young people from jobless families were also found to be twice as likely to rate their family relationships as poor, and nearly one in 10 intended to drop out of school before completing Year 12.

Those with at least one full-time employed parent reported the highest participation rates in part-time employment, 37.2 per cent, while those in jobless families reported less than half this result, at 18.3 per cent.

Janaya Harvey, 25, grew up in a jobless family. Initially, she left school in Year 9, but went back a few years later and completed Year 10.

Ms Harvey did not work for several years — but reached a point where she thought she wanted to “make something of herself” and work towards getting a job. A few years ago, she funded herself through a beauty course — but she still couldn’t get any work. Mission Australia helped her to study a Certificate III in aged care. Ms Harvey recently attained a casual position with a nearby aged care facility.

She said that because her parents didn’t work, finding a job and leading a normal life seemed ­abnormal to her.

“I used to look at my friends’ parents who worked and think ‘Why don’t my parents do that?’

“It used to make me uncomfortable to even apply for a job, I was just taught to live on Centrelink, I was stuck in a rut.”

Mission Australia chief executive Catherine Yeomans said the findings provided a disturbing insight into the widespread impact of unemployment on families.

She said youth unemployment was now double the national average.

[*elizabeths-mum*]

It's so sad. I think more needs to be done for these people than punitive unemployment benefit changes though.

[freakiness]

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@*elizabeths-mum* wrote:
It's so sad. I think more needs to be done for these people than punitive unemployment benefit changes though.

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Yes.  I don't think most set out to be unemployable parents.  Often they get stuck in that rut because they think they are unemployable and give up trying.

I had neighbours who fit that profile for years.  They don't these days because their literacy level improved and they got full time employment.  

[spotweldersfriend]

They have a generational unemployment problem in the north of England too.Thanks Mrs Thatcher.

[spotweldersfriend]

Or they do try,freaki and get knockback after knockback.There's only so many blows ones ego can take before one becomes despondent and gives up.I always hear that Oh there's plenty of jobs out there, line.There is not. Go to Liverpool/Campbelltown or Sunshine if you need any proof.That line hasn't had any currency since the mid-70's. The REAL unemployment rate in Australia is probably around 10+%

[*elizabeths-mum*]

I don't think it's even that people won't go from one suburb to another to work. The motorways and public transport systems at peak hour indicate that people are travelling. When I was young there was some prejudice against people living in certain areas (I came from a very bogan western Sydney suburb) and I can imagine that may still be the case if not more so.

[lloydslights]

I can remember putting my aunt's lower North Shore address on my job applications.  A couple of prospective employers didn't think I could get to work on time everyday from the West.

And guess what....... left home at 6.10am and arrived home at 7.00pm every day for 2 years for the privilege of working with some "snobs" in the "big smoke.

DEB

[purplecarrot-top]

My 17 year old grandaughter got casual work while at school. Turned up for work one day and it was shut down and the owners did a runner. So she gets another job after months of searching. Works there for a few months. Then sorry have to let you go, can't afford to pay you. Then within a week one of their other employee's relation is working there. What happens in this situation. No fault of their own they are out of work. Plus it really does not help their self esteem.

[freakiness]

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@spotweldersfriend wrote:
Or they do try,freaki and get knockback after knockback.There's only so many blows ones ego can take before one becomes despondent and gives up.I always hear that Oh there's plenty of jobs out there, line.There is not. Go to Liverpool/Campbelltown or Sunshine if you need any proof.That line hasn't had any currency since the mid-70's. The REAL unemployment rate in Australia is probably around 10+%

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Yes, that's what I meant. They start off applying for jobs but some people can only take so many rejections before they give up on themselves.  My neice has a partner that, like the bogan, has always been told he's too stupid/dumb to ever hold down a job.  We had one in high school that was routinely told he'd always be worthless.  30 years later he turned up to the high school reunion just to show they were wrong.  Literacy issues are often at the root of the unemployability problems.

[boris1gary]

an even more "interesting article" would be one about the fact that even more unemployed people come from families where 1 or both parents work, because unemployment is not the fault of the unemployed.