A UNIVERSITY of Newcastle study has identified three Hobsons Bay suburbs as being at high risk of job losses.
The study called ‘Red alert suburbs: An employment vulnerability index (EVI) for Australia’s major urban regions’ identified Altona Meadows, Altona North and Laverton were in the amber alert category. This means these suburbs were at medium high risk of employees losing their jobs.
The university’s Centre of Full Employment and Equity professor, Bill Mitchell, said the EVI revealed those suburbs most exposed to potential job losses and least well placed to escape disadvantage associated with increasing unemployment.
“As the economic crisis worsens all cities’ communities will face potential job losses, but the EVI shows that many will be more affected than others. The study showed Spotswood and Newport were at medium low risk and Williamstown was at low risk.
Prof Mitchell said the EVI score was worked out by modelling the key risk factors (skills, casualisation of the workforce, and industry mix) and assessing the weight in which they drove jobless vulnerability.
The report also criticised the Federal Government’s policy of handing out $900 to everyone who earned under $100,000 and call for it to “start renewing our public infrastructure and develop public works programs in community development.”
– Kate Bonsack
