January 24, 2018
The Wide Bay Burnett has created the second largest number of subsidised jobs under the State Government’s Back To Work program, according to new data.
The program offers employers subsidies of between $10,000 and $20,000 to take on young jobseekers, mature age workers and the long-term unemployed.
It has created more than 9,400 jobs in the past 18 months, according to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Almost 90 per cent of those jobs were created in regional and rural Queensland.
Back to Work jobs created by regions are:
- Far North Queensland – 2163
- Wide Bay Burnett – 2021
- North Queensland – 1847
- Central Queensland – 1447 jobs
- Mackay-Whitsunday – 1309
- North West Queensland – 307
- South West Queensland – 388
“Since the 2015, the Government has worked with industry and business to create an additional 143,900 jobs – the equivalent of 140 every day,” the Premier said.
“In regional Queensland, 9482 jobs have been created with the support of the Back to Work program.
“Significantly, more than half of those jobs – 5736 – have been taken up by jobseekers aged under 25 years.
“The Back to Work Regional Employment Package is a $305 million initiative designed to give businesses the confidence to employ jobseekers and provide an economic boost to regions facing challenging times.”
Employer Support, Youth Boost and Mature Aged Worker Boost payments are available under the program’s guidelines to employers who meet all the program eligibility criteria.
From July 1, 2017 each eligible employer is allowed to claim a maximum of five Back to Work regional initial payment applications.
The cap applies to regional Employer Support, Youth Boost and Mature Aged Worker Boost payments and combinations of those payment types.
Once a total of five initial payment applications have been approved, no further initial payment applications can be accepted.
Employer Support Payments under the Back To Work program are:
- $10,000 for a jobseeker previously unemployed between four and 52 weeks
- $15,000 for a jobseeker previously unemployed 52 weeks or more
- Youth Boost Payments of $20,000 for a Jobseeker previously unemployed (minimum four weeks) and aged between 15-24 years
- Mature Aged Worker Boost of $20,000 for a jobseeker previously unemployed (minimum four weeks) and aged 55 years or over
Businesses can visit the Queensland website or call 13-74-68 for more information about Back to Work, or to apply for an employer support payment.
