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  Business   Australia jobless seek no clash of work, golf

Australia jobless seek no clash of work, golf

AP
Published : Feb 24, 2016, 6:15 am IST
Updated : Feb 24, 2016, 6:15 am IST

The Australian government is tired of having unemployed people say they cannot take a job because it may interfere with their golf plans or dreams of becoming an actor.

The Australian government is tired of having unemployed people say they cannot take a job because it may interfere with their golf plans or dreams of becoming an actor. The government said it plans to tighten its rules on who qualifies for unemployment benefits to encourage a growing number of jobless — including some with creative excuses to stay off the job — to go to work.

“Australia’s income support system is there as a safety net for people who genuinely cannot find a job — not as an option for those who simply refuse to work,” employment minister Michaelia Cash said. The penalty for refusing a job offer without a good excuse is eight weeks without a welfare check, but three out of four unemployed Australians who refused jobs last year managed to keep their checks. Australia’s jobless rate is 6 per cent.

The Employment Department on Tuesday released a sample of reasons job hunters have given for remaining unemployed. The basic unemployment benefit in Australia is about $190 a week.

Location: Australia, Capital Region, Canberra