Jobs Front Still Confident
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Jobs are the mantra of the day. To Queenslanders, the refrain of “jobs, jobs, jobs,” adopted by Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull may sound hauntingly familiar as both sides of politics attempt to bleed political capital from what is a very real world financial crisis.
Too often, however, the global financial meltdown and the fallout we are experiencing is written in purely economic terms. The loss of just a single job through retrenchment or company failure can deal a brutal blow to a worker and their family.
That job loss is more than a cold statistic, it is a human life. It is often someone’s financial security, a family’s welfare, and a hard-working and loyal employee’s sense of self-estemm and self-worth at stake.
That said, some degree of perspective is required. Job losses come in both good times and bad. It was not that many years ago the press and the State Opposition were ridiculing former premier Peter “jobs jobs jobs” Beattie for his 5 per cent unemployment target. What a joke, we said.
When Beattie set that target in times far more benign than these, enemployment was more than 8 per cent. Today it’s still less than 5 per cent (4.7 per cent in January) despite the havoc wreaked on the world economy by failed banks, plunging commodity prices, consumer confidence and the other assorted portents of economic gloom.
Yes, there may be worse to come, but in historical terms we are still a nation pretty damn close to full employment by many measures. There are still skills shortages in key areas. There are still jobs to be had.
At a recent business breakfast in Brisbane, several companies indicated that they were adding, not shedding staff. As one bloke who runs a fairly sizeable scaffolding business put it, “We’ve never been busier and have nothing left in the yard.” He’s not about to rush out and buy more scaffolding though. Why? Because of the fear factor.
In other words, “There’s too much doom and gloom in the media, it makes you worried.” True, the media are doom and gloom merchants. It’s hard not to be when the world is turned on it’s economic head. But we must also remember that confidence - be that consumer or business - is the real key to any recovery.
Confidence - be that reckless hubris or complete lack of faith - often fulfils it’s own prophecy. Australia must remember that conditions could be, and have been, a lot worse. And when it comes to jobs, we’re better off today than we were a decade ago when times were allegedly good.
If your business is beginning to suffer a slight downturn, I can offer you solutions which will keep you ahead of your competition.
