Australia’s unemployment rate plunged to the lowest level since 1974 as businesses struggle to find workers. Today’s rate was 3.5%, much lower than expected. It may not last as the Reserve Bank raises the cash rate.
Another interesting fact revealed today was that the CBD office occupancy rate in Sydney and Melbourne was less than 50% of that before the pandemic with more workers now working from home.
It’s that same over here Bruce 
United Kingdom Unemployment Rate - June 2022 Data - 1971-2021 Historical (tradingeconomics.com)
when ya sick and starvin you’ll work for anyone ; anywhere?
The huge problem here is the welfare state that hands out cash to stay home, so there is little or no incentive to work to survive.
I have an interest in a local manufacturing company that employs 60+ operatives and although more are needed to meet an ever expanding order book, very few come forward to apply for advertised positions. Even my suggestion of letter box drops in the surrounding areas have been unsuccessful despite a very good pay rate 
[quote=“LongDriver, post:4, topic:92390”]
The huge problem here is the welfare state that hands out cash to stay home, so there is little or no incentive to work to survive.
[/quote] so are you claiming that these same people are not still considered officially unemployed?
Because of the dire shortage of labour PM Albo has announced that the Pacific Labour Mobility Scheme will be extended to other areas of employment.
Previously this has only covered agricultural workers but this will now be extended to Aged Care, health care, trades and other areas of shortage. These visas count toward Australia’s foreign aid.
https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/pacific/engagement/pacific-labour-mobility
They are officially unemployed for various reasons and a very few of them are genuine cases, but many are what I term as work shy on the long term sick register. It is great entertainment to watch some called into an assessment centre arrive in a car park about 200yds away. Spry striding at first and by the time the centre is reached, crutches are fully deployed and a certain pained look to them as they enter the establishment.
What the centre needs is CCTV trained on the car park and the surrounding approach routes.
I don’t believe there are many people who are willingly on the dole, there is an activity test ie a number of applications have to be made each fortnight and there is also a work for the dole obligation. The dole is means tested
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/mutual-obligation-requirements
The maximum dole for a single person is $641 per fortnight (the pension is $980 per fortnight) that is well below the poverty line. the average rent in Australia is $430 so you have $110 per week to live on. Woe betide you if you live in a capital city.
No one willing lives on the dole
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/how-much-jobseeker-payment-you-can-get
Even the Federal government and business groups say the dole is too low, the former doubled it during the pandemic.
My last post contained an error- the average rent in Australia is $430 PER WEEK as the dole is $320 per week you can see a problem with living on the dole straight away.
To demonstrate how low the dole is, today PM Albo (in a 50:50 split with the states) reinstated the $750 sick payments for workers with Covid who have no sick leave or annual leave left. This is to stop people going to work with Covid and spreading it.
What do you get for that, Bruce? It that a regular apartment…2 beds, say? Its just under £1,000 a month in our money.
