Australia, insurance, car, home, live, holidays

Dan Murphy’s is offering walk-in 10-minute job interviews until Sunday.Credit:Domain

“Every single Dan Murphy’s store is hiring,” said Dan Murphy’s incoming managing director Agi Pfeiffer-Smith. “Just come as you are and our commitment to every applicant is that we will give you a short interview on the spot.”

The liquor store chain is among dozens of otherorganisations that are fighting to fill Christmas casual roles amid the tightest labour market Australia has seen in decades.

The Albanese government has pledged to increase the permanent overseas migration intake by20 per cent,from 160,000 to 195,000,as one of 36 initiatives to boost the Australian workforce.

Dan Murphy’s is looking to fill 670 roles in NSW,570 in Queensland,530 in Victoria,280 in Western Australia,and 140 in South Australia. Most roles have a minimum requirement of 20 hours per week.

To attract applicants to the role,the drinks retailer is offering to pay for training and the cost of acquiring RSA certifications. Dan Murphy’s is owned by Endeavour Group,which also owns BWS and ALH Hotels.

The labour shortage has been impacting every industry and sector,with Australia Post also launching theirrecruitment drive earlier than usual.

“Everyone you talk to says the same thing,‘I need staff’,” saidHarvey Norman chairman Gerry Harvey last week.

Meanwhile,major brands like David Jones and Michael Hill are hoping brand recognition will give them an edge in the war for workers.

Gerry Harvey says businesses across the country are struggling with staff shortages.Credit:Janie Barrett

The jobs summit held late last week outlinedtwo key national shortages in the workforce:women and skills.

The immigration system – which is fast-tracking a backlog of 900,000 unprocessed visa applications – looks set for reform following Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil’s remarks that there would be “a big switch in our thinking”.

“That switch is moving away from a system focused almost entirely on keeping people out,to one that recognises that we are in a global competition for talent,” she said. “We make it easy for temporary migrants to come here,but very hard for highly skilled,permanent migrants. We’ve got it backwards.”

The COVID pandemic also exposed the nation’s over-reliance on temporary workers from certain industries,the Prime Minister noted at the summit.

“My starting point is in favour of giving people the security that comes with a path to permanent migration,a path to being an Australian citizen,” Albanese said.

Older Australians are also being encouraged to re-enter the workforce by raising the amount they can earn by $4000 before their pension is reduced.

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