GOLD COAST BULLETIN

Friday April 15, 2011

UNEMPLOYMENT soared as the city struggled to deal with failing small businesses and new job seekers flooding over the border.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures revealed the Gold Coast unemployment rate climbed to 8.1 per cent the previous month, up from 6.5 per cent in February 2011. The figures showed although 1800 new jobs were created in that time on the Coast, 5000 more people were unemployed. While the national unemployment rate was just 4.9 per cent, the Coast’s figure threatened to overtake the US’s level of 8.8 per cent.

The Australian unemployment rate had not touched 8.1 since 1997, when the nation was still suffering a hangover from the 1991-92 recession.

One Gold Coast recruitment agency had 130 applicants in two days for a junior office job.

New Point Recruitment director David Ford said jobs were being created, but there were

more people competing for them, with applications coming from all over Australia.

‘‘There are quite a few more administrative roles coming on board and some sales roles and IT is starting to pick up,’’ he said.

‘‘But I will get a standard administrative role and within three days I have got over 100 applications.

‘‘They are also competing with new people coming to the Gold Coast as well applications are from all over Australia.’’

He said people, often made redundant, were panicking and sending in error-laden resumes.

‘‘People are rushing to be first in,’’ he said.