By Denis Hay
Description
Job guarantee Australia is the answer to unemployment. Discover how monetary sovereignty can fund full employment for all Australians.
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Introduction
How is it that Australia, a country rich in resources and economic power, still allows people to go without work? The truth is that the job market is broken. Governments talk about reducing unemployment, but they never deliver real solutions. One bold idea can change that: a job guarantee Australia can count on.
Let’s be clear, this is not some vague promise. It is a policy grounded in our nation’s capacity to invest in people. Thanks to monetary sovereignty, we can afford to fund jobs for all. Imagine an Australia where no one is left behind.
“1 in 5 Australians want more hours or better jobs.” (The Conversation, 2023).
The Problem: Why Australians Feel Stuck
Root Cause: Neoliberalism Gutted Job Security
So, what happened? Neoliberalism. That word might sound academic, but it has real-world consequences. Over the past 40 years, governments sold off public assets, cut services, and replaced secure jobs with insecure contracts. The promise of full employment was quietly abandoned.
As Australians, we used to believe in a fair go. But where is the fairness in a system that throws people into the gig economy while billionaires hoard wealth?
Learn how neoliberalism harms Australian lives
Consequence for Citizens: Real People Are Left Out
What happens when you want to work, but the jobs just are not there? You feel useless. You feel forgotten. That’s the reality for thousands of job seekers in Australia today. And while governments hand out billions to fossil fuel giants, they tell ordinary people to “try harder.”
According to The Australia Institute, underemployment affects over 1 million Australians. That is not laziness. That is a policy failure. A job guarantee, Australia-style solution would flip this on its head.
The Impact: What Australians Are Experiencing
Everyday Effects: Insecurity, Stress, and No Relief
Let’s ask: what is the lived cost of unemployment? For many Australians, it means skipping meals, dreading rent day, or taking jobs with no benefits or sick leave. It means being stuck in survival mode.
Is this what a “developed country” looks like?
Read about how Australians are coping with rising costs
Who Benefits: Corporate Profiteering
Who gains from this? Big business. Casualisation boosts corporate profits, while workers get no holidays or security. Politicians pretend there’s no money for jobs, yet billions in public money flow to gas companies and weapons contractors.
And who pays the price? You. Me. All of us.
The Solution: What Must Be Done
Australia’s Monetary Sovereignty and Reform
Here’s the good news. Australia creates its own currency. That means we are not like a household or a state government. We cannot “run out” of dollars. Our federal government can always afford to invest in the public good.
This is the core insight of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). It shows us that a job guarantee Australia can afford is not a dream. It is a smart use of our national resources.
Explore how monetary sovereignty can fund solutions
Policy Solutions and Demands
Let’s be clear about what we want:
- A federally funded, locally delivered job guarantee program.
- Jobs at a living wage with full entitlements.
- Work that benefits communities, such as aged care, green energy, and infrastructure.
- No more punitive Centrelink requirements.
- Guaranteed dignity and purpose for all Australians.
This is what a better country looks like. And we can build it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is a job guarantee expensive?
A: Not when you understand monetary sovereignty. We issue our own currency. The true limit is inflation, not money.
Q: Would this cause inflation?
A: A job guarantee is designed to be anti-inflationary. It adds jobs in a downturn and releases them in a boom.
Q: What kinds of jobs would be available?
A: Community care, climate resilience, public maintenance, arts, and education support. Real work that adds real value.
Q: Does a job guarantee replace welfare?
A: No. It supplements it. People who are unable to work are still supported. But it gives everyone else the choice to contribute meaningfully.
Q: Why has Australia not done this already?
A: Because vested interests benefit from unemployment. It keeps wages down and workers desperate.
Final Thoughts
It does not have to be this way. A job guarantee Australia can embrace would end unemployment for good. The tools are already in our hands. The only thing missing is political courage.
We can do better. We must do better. Imagine an Australia where everyone who wants to work can. Let’s build that future together.
What’s Your Experience?
Do you support a job guarantee Australia can count on? Share your views and stories below.
Call to Action
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This article was originally published on Social Justice Australia
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Once again , Denis ..
You have put the Spit n Polish on the expoundation of the concept of a JOB GUARANTEE , The spot light is rarely shined on the plight of the Un-employed and its long term hardships , its de-humanising and your self worth is at an all time low down on struggle street , while those in cushy jobs are ready to lash out and call you a dole bludger ( the social stigma still permiates across the class divide ) ……..
Denis you managed to offer real solutions and you should be commended for showing empathy by educating the Joe blow public about the benefits and dignity that all Australians deserve , Yor Job guarantee description shows what might be possible if a collaborative will could be found and put it in action to pull people out of the depths of despair and poverty .
You have a wonderful champion social Justice heart, Denis, and the proof is in the pudding with this article .
If there is ever another enquiry into Poverty for submissions by the Government , I’d be advocating for this Job guarantee / job creation Model that you have proposed , Its simply Long over due .
Thank you, Jano,
You’ve captured exactly what so many people on the unemployment line feel but rarely get to say. That feeling of being looked down on, shamed, or dismissed as a “bludger” is soul-crushing. And yet, those pointing the finger are often sitting comfortably, never having faced that struggle themselves.
The truth is that unemployment is not a personal failure. It’s a policy failure. As you said, it is long past time we had a national conversation about dignity, inclusion, and the right to contribute.
If enough of us continue to push for a genuine Job Guarantee, one that lifts people out of despair and into purpose, perhaps the political will can finally catch up with the human need.
Thanks again for standing firm on this. It’s people like you who keep the fire lit.
Denis
Thank you again, Denis .
And thank you for your aknowledgements on this sweeped under the rug topic, along with other close associated topics that ties into welfare and social disadvantage …………
If you ever go to Canberra with a lobby group or similar keep me posted and i’ll do my best to make it there for ( Moral and social support ) to rally for this cause and to make AIMN views on social justice and the public Good more accessible to the main stream and out in force in Canberra to Sow Seeds in the Ears of the political divide amd make suggestions and solutions to bring about change in the long term,
So as you describe it , The Political will can catch up to human need………
Sincerely and regards, Jano .