Somewhat incredibly – and almost uniquely among wealthy nations – Australia lacks a true unemployment insurance system. What we have instead is a meagre form of semi-permanent welfare that serves nobody well – not recipients, not employers, not our economy.
This gap has been overlooked during the public debate about what to do with the JobSeeker unemployment benefit that currently supports well over a million Australians. Instead, we’ve seen the same old tug of war, the outcome of which is sure to fully satisfy no one.
Loading...
Steven Hamilton is assistant professor of economics at George Washington University and visiting fellow at the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute at the ANU.
