Entry-level jobs are slowly disappearing and are no longer meeting demand, according to a report, ‘Jobs Availability Snapshot’, from Anglicare Australia, a charity based in Australia.

The report showed that 15 people across Australia are competing for each entry-level job. At the same time, one in ten do not have recent experience or qualifications, or they have barriers to work.

Anglicare’s report highlighted that while unemployment is going down, the number of people with barriers to work has not budged. These Australians spend an average of five years looking for work. Furthermore, 860,000 people are underemployed and could also be competing for these jobs, the study noted.

Executive Director Kasy Chambers said, “Our system is failing those who need the most help to find work – people with disabilities, who didn’t finish year 12, or older workers who lost their jobs later in life. Our Snapshot shows that almost a hundred thousand Australians in this situation are looking for work. That number has barely budged in five years. The same people are being left behind each year.”

The report also found that nearly half of all job vacancies require a tertiary education or at least three years’ experience, reflecting a shift towards a job market that requires more advanced skills,

Chambers said the employment services system needs to be overhauled to help people who have been out of work long-term. He added that the current system props up private employment providers and costs taxpayers millions each year, but is failing at getting people into work.

According to The Guardian, the Albanese government announced a parliamentary committee to investigate the design of the Workforce Australia program, with the employment minister, Tony Burke, saying some aspects required ‘scrutiny and oversight’.

The report also recommends increasing Jobseeker payments so jobseekers can focus on searching for jobs rather than trying to survive on below-poverty-level payments.