cont

Shaggy Dog, you to are right, but if you try to gain a real cost benefit, forget it its not there to be had for the very reasons you point out.
Here is a hypothetical for you. In Bumtown population 10,000, there are 3,000 unemployed, the government being stung by the report on last nights 'Tomorrow Yesterday' current affairs program about the unemployment problem in Bumtown, has set aside $40 million to relieve unemployment in the town. You as Mayor of Bumtown and head of the local council has been give the sole responsibility to "implement a program" that will see unemployment PERMANENTLY (operative word) disappear in Bumtown. You have plenty of cash and total control to do it.
At present the local councils work force consists of 200 locals, it is by far the biggest employer in the district, doing a good job for the community, the council keeps the town looking and functioning ok, the ratepayers are happy. By the way, the government wants QUICK RESULTS. Go to it. Anyone? I don't know what I would do.

Suze, if someone has a genuine job interview, I am sure they could be relieved to attend such. However, we are talking about 15 hours per week, which leaves plenty of time for interviews.

The other point is that having a job (WFTD) usually gives people a sense of belonging and contributing, often increasing personal confidence, a huge tool when seeking genuine employment.

It will be a very interesting topic to keep an eye on.

Butch, the unemployment capital of NSW is the town of Nowra 2 hours south of Sydney population 35,000 90% Australian born, the "visible" unemployed in the town are generally youngish and unskilled and long term unemployed their prospects of employment in the town, nil, but rents are cheap. The employment capital of NSW is Sydney population 4,500,000, with concentrations of areas with high and low unemployment. The employment prospects for the unskilled generally low to fair. Rents in Sydney high, housing in short supply. Between Nowra and Sydney the biggest difference, besides population, is the cost of rent. What would you do with the unemployed in Nowra?
If you choose to live where no jobs are available (Nowra), either travel to your designated place of work (Sydney), move (to Sydney), or be cut off (Turn to crime). It's that simple. Do you have another answer?

Paul'

As we are a very socialist oriented country, I see no problem for the Government to initiate 'pick and shovel' jobs to employ people.
Increasing the Armed Forces is a good idea as well.

In India jobs are kept low tech just to employ more people.
I was travelling on Indian Railways two years ago on a Complementary Free Pass and accompanied a District Engineer on a run up the Ghats to the south-east of Mumbai.
I remarked on the fact that the men were using hand operated mechanical saws to cut rails to length and that sleepers were being replaced by hand.
He explained that although the work took longer to do, the quite heavy traffic was not disrupted, except by being slowed by speed restrictions.
Whereas if they used the modern track machines, the machines would block the line and have to go to the nearest siding to get out of the way and thus slow everything down.

The Great Northern Railway from Armidale to the Queensland border would be an excellent place to start a hundred men or so to refurbish the line.

The main reason for work for the dole is to get people to decide they might as well go to work. It also reduces the number working for cash in hand, while collecting the dole. Around here that is a very large percentage.

Still, there is much work in national parks & forestry that could be moderately effectively done by the unemployed. Clearing out weeds, cats, dogs & pigs would be useful.

At the same time, there is high unemployment in older middle executives. Many, if not most of these people could organize & control this labor force very easily, as their work for the dole, & would mostly welcome something useful to do with their time.

As for people being unemployable, have a look at the Endeavour Foundation. I'm not sure it was cost advantageous, or even effective, but I used them for quite a bit of packaging, requiring a product, with some ancillary bits & instructions. When they had good management they were excellent, & the people enjoyed going to work.

Most can be accommodated, & if it got even 10% of the long-term unemployed actually looking for work, it would be a win all round.

Suseonline, "I think our country is wealthy enough to wear those dole payments"

It isn't "the country" that is paying for them. The "country" aka the government has no money. The money comes from taxpayers. The taxpayers are fed up.

There would not be a week go by where I don't hear a complaint from tradies that they cannot get workers, either to train or simply labour. It isn't 'dole payments' is it? The problem is bludgers who will not go to work. Go to the houses where they are receiving rent assistance and you will see that they cannot be bothered doing any minor maintenance either. In fact they would rather stub out their cigarettes in the mortar between house bricks than use an ash tray.

Your solution is?