THE latest unemployment rates in the Launceston and North-East regions compare with the South Australian outback as some of the worst in the country. Full-time jobs fell to 152 600 with regional data showing a bleak future for the North of Tasmania.
Georgie Burgess from The Examiner (Friday 8th August 2014) stated:
Launceston and the North-East are in the top six highest unemployment rates in the country, out of almost 100 regions. At 9.4 per cent, the North joins the South Australian outback, Geelong and New England in rural New South Wales as some of the worst in the country.
It is acknowledged that there are mental health consequences of being unemployed and those who've been seeking work for over 6 months are more than three times as likely to be suffering depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.
Yunda Thomas said in the Atlantic that
"unemployment often exacts a toll that goes beyond economic concerns to psychological ones. Humans, after all, are not robots, and the loss of a job is not merely the loss of a paycheck but the loss of a routine, security, and connection to other people.
There is a great concern in rural communities of Australia that the unemployment rate will increase these mental health concerns. Three quarters of Queensland is now drought declared with farmers actively looking for work which simply isn't available in their local area. The rural and remote community faces a greater challenge than its urban counterparts with limited job opportunities and less access to mental health services and support.
The 6th Australian Rural and Remote Mental Health Symposium theme, The Practitioner's Voice, seeks to give voice to practitioners who are faced with these challenges on a regular basis. Be a part of the discussion by registering for the symposium to be held 12-14 November 2014 at the Commercial Club Albury.
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