Page 3330 - Week 11 - Thursday, 22 September 1994
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indicates that teenagers who make the successful transition from school to work tend to be those with greater periods of schooling. Conversely, early school leavers tend to be in greatest danger of becoming long-term unemployed. However, the overall picture is clear. The great majority of teenagers, with varying degrees of difficulty, successfully make the school to work transition.
It is also important to understand the teenage job market. The retail sector is the single most important source of jobs, employing 51 per cent of teenagers. The recreation and personal services sector is the second most important, employing 20 per cent of teenagers. There has clearly been a major change in the shape of the labour market over the past few years. Employers generally no longer look for young, inexperienced workers to fill full-time jobs. For example, in 1992 teenagers made up only 0.4 per cent of the public sector work force in the ACT, compared to 3.8 per cent in 1985. At the same time, there are now many opportunities for part-time work for young people, particularly in the retail, hospitality, recreational and personal services industries. As an illustration of this, between May 1990 and May 1993 the number of teenagers in part-time employment grew by 16 per cent. The move towards part-time employment for teenagers, with the accompanying decrease in full-time employment, is not unique to Canberra. It is part of a national trend. Participation in part-time work may also have longer-term benefits. Anecdotal evidence suggests that teenagers who have had part-time jobs are more attractive to employers than those who have had no job, probably because they have a better understanding of the work ethic and a proven track record.
In thinking about teenage unemployment, and indeed employment generally, it is important that we do not regard the Territory as an island. The ACT economy will always be part of the Australian economy. A national economic downturn will result in rising unemployment levels, and policies which keep unemployment low in the ACT compared to the rest of Australia will result in unemployed people from other States moving to the ACT to seek work. Therefore, to address the problem of unemployment effectively in the ACT, it must be tackled at all levels.
Now that I have clarified what we are dealing with, I will turn to some of the solutions. The first and most obvious solution is the creation of jobs. The ACT has recorded good job growth over recent years. The ACT Government, through sensible economic and budget policies and support of local business, has established the right environment for continued job growth. The Government's major contributions to the tourism industry, our establishment of the Business Services Centre, our support for the national industry extension service program, the establishment of the industry assistance package and our financial contribution towards the cost of ACT businesses attending the CeBIT information technology exhibition in Germany are just a few examples of our commitment to ACT business.
While the Commonwealth has primary responsibility for employment creation and income support, this Government believes that it should also do what it can to provide direct assistance to the unemployed. In particular, we must assist the unemployed to develop and maintain their labour market skills, including their confidence and self-esteem. There are a number of existing ACT programs that are of particular relevance.
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