Australia gives cash incentive for unemployed to relocate for work

This is a policy tweak to the government’s workforce relocation policies, which have not seen the results expected. 

The relocation policies were intended to draw job seekers to regional areas of the country, but the programme has not worked as it required people with little savings to come up with the money to pay for relocation. 

The tweak will enable eligible job seekers to get up to A$2000 (US$1,539) upfront from May if they move to a new location for ongoing work. 

Many Australians are still trying to find work as the economy recovers, said employment minister Stuart Robert.  

“We’ve also spoken to employers who are finding it difficult to secure the labour they need, especially in regional areas. These changes ensure that all job seekers eligible for relocation assistance, not just those in financial hardship, can get upfront support when they take up an offer of ongoing work, including for ongoing jobs in the agricultural sector,’ he said. 

The government is also lowering the threshold for eligible job seekers to access the payments when relocating for work. Job seekers will get the financial aid when they relocate for jobs offering at least 20 hours a week, instead of the existing threshold of 30 hours. 

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In addition, all job seekers are immediately eligible to gain access to this support on commencement in employment services, rather than after 12 months of unemployment as was previously the case, Robert said, according to 7 News.