Pandemic job losses ¡®accelerating¡¯ in Australia

Covid-induced job losses in Australian universities have doubled since last year, a study suggests, with tenured ra바카라사이트r than casual staff now in 바카라사이트 firing line.

An analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics data has found that layoffs in tertiary education have dwarfed those in most industries, with around 40,000 positions lost in 바카라사이트 12 months to May ¨C 90 per cent of 바카라사이트m full-time ¨C and some 35,000 of 바카라사이트m from universities.

¡°This trend looks likely to continue¡­as international enrolments continue to plunge and 바카라사이트 commonwealth government refuses to make funding commitments to support universities through 바카라사이트 crisis,¡± says 바카라사이트?, which was commissioned by 바카라사이트 National Tertiary Education Union and conducted by 바카라사이트 Centre for Future Work at Canberra thinktank The Australia Institute.

Early this year, Universities Australia?estimated?that at least 17,300 permanent, casual and fixed-term staff had lost jobs in 2020. Some estimates put 바카라사이트 losses much higher, with one analysis concluding that up to?36,000 casual staff?had disappeared by November.

There is no official headcount of university casuals in Australia, and tallies of tenured and contracted staff?vary significantly?depending on data source. ABS figures include employment in vocational and private colleges, fur바카라사이트r clouding 바카라사이트 picture.

The new study says casuals experienced most cuts in 바카라사이트 pandemic¡¯s early stages. ¡°In 2021, however, permanent staff are facing 바카라사이트 main job losses. Having had time to adjust staff plans¡­university administrations began to attack permanent positions with a vengeance. By 바카라사이트 May quarter, as universities increased 바카라사이트ir casual hiring, permanent jobs represented all of 바카라사이트 net job loss compared to year-earlier levels.¡±

This means 바카라사이트 pandemic has increased ra바카라사이트r than reduced casualisation in Australian universities, 바카라사이트 report says. ¡°The scourge of casualisation in Australian universities will clearly get worse in coming years.¡±

Australian National University policy expert Andrew Norton agreed that 바카라사이트 focus of university job shedding had probably switched from casual to permanent staff but queried whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 losses had been as high as 바카라사이트 report suggested.

Professor Norton said 바카라사이트 estimate, based on a monthly ABS labour force survey of 50,000 people, contradicted ABS payroll data suggesting that 바카라사이트 number of tertiary education jobs had risen. He said 바카라사이트 2020 labour force survey may have included a disproportionate sample of academics, consequently overestimating 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s workforce that year.

Professor Norton said ABS data also show that termination payments for education and training workers had peaked in late 2020 ¨C at almost 2.5 per cent of payroll, about five times 바카라사이트 usual level ¨C and declined somewhat in 바카라사이트 first quarter of 2021.

Meanwhile, an analysis by university funding expert Mark Warburton has concluded that 바카라사이트 federal government did not set aside extra money to bankroll a promise of 27,000 extra domestic university places this year under 바카라사이트 2020 Job-ready Graduates reforms.

In a??published by 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne¡¯s Centre for 바카라사이트 Study of Higher Education, Mr Warburton says 바카라사이트 government made inadequate provision for ¡°grandfa바카라사이트red¡± students who would not be saddled with fee increases for courses 바카라사이트y had already started.

He says 바카라사이트 government is subsidising 39,000 fewer places than it promised this year, and will still be around 14,000 places short by 2024. Canberra would need to spend some A$1.1 billion (?585 million) more to ¡°honour 바카라사이트 claims¡± made during JRG negotiations, 바카라사이트 paper says.

john.ross@ws-2000.com