A rudderless ship: government's older worker policy

Recruitment agencies must be regulated so that they act in the best interest of their clients, the individual and the nation. At the moment, they are simply money factories traducing older worker experience and burying professional ethics next to merit.

While the unemployment rate for 55+ is low at about 3.5 per cent compared to youth unemployment 11.8 per cent, unemployed older job seekers 55+ on average can take more than 72 weeks to find work, compared to about 40 weeks in the 25-44 age range. People talk about 'encore careers' but many of these are slayed by age prejudice.

Consider this: in June 2012, there were 550,000 recipients of Newstart Allowance. Of those, 50,000 aged 55 years and older are 'very long-term' unemployed. I haven't included those who have fled to sickness benefits because they have no superannuation.

This is just a tiny sample of those that will lean heavily on a shrinking tax base over the next 40 years as more people retire and then realize they don't have enough super, and then try to get back in to the workforce. The Government seems more intent on raising the age pension age rather than creating and implementing any long-term strategy.

I will state it again. No one is in control of one of the largest economic and social engineering projects in Australia's history.

Future generations should not be penalized because the current generation wallowed in reports and failed to put their shoulders to the wheel.