Unravelling Australia's complex jobs puzzle

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"I've never felt so demoralised", says Tooba, a 24 year old Pakistan-born university graduate.

She should be taking her first steps on the career ladder as the Australian economy recovers from the disruption of Covid-19 but is barely making a living and relies on welfare payments to keep a roof over her head.

I am not employed. I work at a cafe. She tells the BBC that she is just below the poverty line.

I don't know anyone in my circle of poor university graduates who has been able to afford a full tank of petrol. I don't know anyone who doesn't skip meals, says Ms Anwar.

She has a degree in communication and creative writing, as well as a tertiary qualification in community services, but she is often rejected for a job because it is only related to her qualifications.

Her lack of hands-on training has made it difficult for her to get a first job.

She says that it has been difficult because a lot of employers are asking for five years of experience. She says they will ask the candidates about their experience after the interview if they are interested in the job.

Image source, Tooba Anwar

The unemployment rate in Australia is at 4%, which is an all time low. It is similar to the UK and US figures.

By the end of this year, the level is expected to be even lower, according to the predictions of one of Australia's major banks.

That sounds very positive for Tooba and her friends. The labour market in a country the size of Australia can be very complex.

Open jobs that are not in the location where they are needed the most can be insecure and poorly paid.

Up to a quarter of the workforce are casual workers, with few rights and no paid leave.

Policies on job creation will be a crucial campaign issue for candidates to sway voters.

In the absence of permanent contracts there was a jobs crisis in this country.

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There are more advertised job vacancies, but the work is not always nearby.

Daniel Gschwind, the Swiss-born chief executive of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, says that matching skills is not easy.

1,200 vacancies exist for chefs and cooks. Financial relief on visa fees is an incentive for applicants from abroad to come to the US.

Efforts are being made to get older Australians, students and part-timers to join the tourism workforce.

The unemployment rate in Australia has dropped to historically low levels, and the labour pool is drying up more than ever before. He says that this is a global issue.

It is a dire problem. We are trying to find every labour pool we can find, including attracting skilled migrants from overseas.

There is an acknowledgement that low rates of pay need to be adjusted in order to make up for years of stagnant pay.

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Mr Gschwind says that tourism is not as respected as a career choice. We are trying to remedy that.

Western Australia, the last state to reopen its international borders, has a labour shortage.

Western Australia had a record-breaking year in tourism in 2019. More than half a million international visitors came to the state, up more than 10% from the previous year. This trend was knocked out by coronaviruses.

This part of the economy needs a lot of workers.

Roger Cook is pinning his hopes on young overseas travellers rekindling their love for long haul travel in particular for Australia.

While the return of working holiday makers and international students is helping to fill some of these workforce gaps, we acknowledge the need for an increased pipeline of skilled home-grown workers in the industry to future-proof it.

The courses are free for eligible students and funded by the government.

The labour market in Australia is better than it has been in a long time. There are more opportunities for young people, but there are also a lot of people who are not comfortable with themselves.

We know that young people were not prepared for the epidemic. There was growing wealth and income inequality between young and old in Australia, and then the Pandemic hit young people harder than most groups.

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It was their jobs and their hours that were first to go after the introduction of lockdowns.

The first recession since the early 1990s occurred in Covid-19 Australia.

Many younger Australians are missing out because they lack relevant skills or experience, even though the economy is bouncing back.

This is a common issue. The young people who I work with are not able to find proper jobs that pay at least the minimum wage.

They end up doing cash-in-hand work for a friend of a friend, or a distant relative for $10 an hour in not great conditions, with no job security. Proper work is hard to get.

Tooba wants to contribute and earn a fair wage.

It's a waste of the energy, knowledge and enthusiasm we have. She says that they would love to be in a job where they are supported.