Recommendations from the 2022 employment index produced by Generation One call for urgent action from employers, investors and government to end Indigenous employment disparity. 

Minderoo Foundation, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC) at Curtin University, and Murawin, 2022, Woort Koorliny - Australian Indigenous Employment Index 2022 National Report. Minderoo Foundation. 

The West Australian State Government strategy sets out a framework for future initiatives and policies that will contribute to improved outcomes for Aboriginal people. 

Kim Goodwin, Teaching Specialist, and Caitlin Vincent, Lecturer in Creative Industries at at the University of Melbourne, explore possibilities for the Arts portfolio under new Federal Minister Tony Burke.

Read The Conversation article

The Centre for Future Work has published a report (Stewart, Stanford, Hardy, May 2022) on the scale and impact of Australia's persistent wage stagnation despite post pandemic historic employment figures. The report points to a number of structural and policy remedies that may help address the problem. 

Research by the Grattan Institute (Coates and Ballantyne, May 2022) presents compelling argument that full time employment should be a national priority to protect all Australians, but particularly those most vulnerable, from the deep economic and social impact of weak labour markets. 

Research by Chief Executive Women outlines how improving women's workforce participation and addressing the gender pay gap would help to solve Australia's current and future critical skills shortages. 

The Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute has published a report (Littleton, April 26th) about the challenges faced by Australian universities as they rebuild following the very negative impact of the COVID19 pandemic and in the context of already falling levels of public investment. Recommendations to address the decline of the Higher Education sector include; adequate public funding in teaching and research, free undergraduate places, improved governance, secure employment for academic staff and more transparent data collection. 

The National Workforce Strategy 2022-27 provides a framework for Government to ensure a consistent, coordinated approach to address workforce issues and sector-specific workforce plans. It will guide the national effort to secure the workforce we need today and tomorrow—to ensure we are equipping Australians with the skills they need to get a job and keep a job.

The Strategy has five guiding principles:
1. Use data to create transparency of the current and future workforce.
2. Equip Australians with in-demand skills and focus employment services on outcomes.
3. Remove barriers and disincentives to work.
4. Activate industry to design and drive change.
5. Target migration to fill skills and labour gaps.

To read more about the strategy visit this link

On 13 November 2019, the Senate referred an inquiry into the causes, extent and effects of unlawful non-payment or underpayment of employees' remuneration by employers and measures that can be taken to address the issue.

A committee was established to seek submissions from a range of relevant stakeholders such as unions, peak bodies and associations, academics, state governments, federal bodies, the higher education sector, and legal representatives
 
Wage theft creates significant problems for Australian labour market regulation. The rate of unlawful underpayment complaints and media reporting increased markedly from around 2015, with mounting evidence that wage theft practices have become widespread in the hospitality, retail, horticulture, franchise-heavy and higher education sectors.
 
This report outlines 19 recommendations and industry findings.
March 2022 "Systemic, sustained and shameful" report

The United States found evidence of people voluntarily leaving their jobs in record numbers as the pandemic encourages a rethink of careers, work-life balance and long-term goals, so what about here in Australia? 
This report asked over 1,200 Australians working full or part time about their employment behaviours, attitudes and intentions. Finding that after decades of low employee turnover a sizeable share of our population have left or are considering leaving their jobs. To read the report click on the document included.