By Jessica Micallef
Nearly 20,000 workers and 5000 businesses in McEwen are going to be worse off now that JobKeeper and JobSeeker payments have been reduced, according to McEwen MP Rob Mitchell.
JobKeeper has been reduced from $1500 a fortnight to $1200 for full-time workers and $750 for part-time employers who work 20 hours or less a week.
In December, the JobKeeper rate is expected to drop again to $1000 a full-time workers and $650 for part-time employees.
For those on JobSeeker, the rate has been reduced to $800 a fortnight and the coronavirus supplement has dropped to $250.
Mr Mitchell believes the pay cuts are going to heavily impact businesses and workers that are already struggling to keep their head above water.
“We are going to see a lot more people lose access to work, lose access to JobKeeper and seeing people removed from their workplaces is going to be painful,” he said.
“I’ve had businesses that are good employers, say to me that without the JobKeeper, and with JobKeeper being cut, they won’t be able to keep people employed.”
Mr Mitchell said government help was not targeted to the “right people” and those often doing it the hardest, were the people who were impacted the most.
“Twenty per cent of the [McEwen] workforce, that’s just on 5000 businesses, are going to be impacted heavily, including some that will shut their doors and that’s a problem.” he said.
“These are huge numbers and its smack-banh in the middle of a huge recession.
“People need help and support now.
“If you have a family that has no work coming in, or on a reduce income with increased costs, it just snowballs the anxiety and the problems that they face.
“Our community needs and deserves a comprehensive jobs plan to set us u0 for the recovery and the future.”
