Full employment on agenda

Wednesday, 4 December 2013

Top economic experts are in Newcastle to discuss the legacy of higher unemployment and the need for true full employment in the wake of the global financial crisis.

MEDIA RELEASE

employment 2The Centre of Full Employment and Equity (CofFEE), a joint research centre between the University of Newcastle and Charles Darwin University, will host the international conference Reconstructing a Full Employment Narrative on Wednesday 4 December and Thursday 5 December. The conference incorporates the 14th Path to Full Employment conference and the 19th National Conference on Unemployment.

CofFEE Director, Professor Bill Mitchell, said the conference was timely as economic uncertainty continues in Europe, the US and Australia.

"With governments around the world imposing fiscal austerity with damaging repercussions for their citizens and the crisis deepening, it is time to challenge the logic of that approach and bring economies back to true full employment."

The conference has attracted a number of speakers who will present over the course of the event.

Wednesday 4 December

The Employment Vulnerability Index (EVI) will be launched today. The EVI identifies those localities that have higher proportions of the types of jobs thought to be at risk in the current economic climate, from red alert suburbs showing those areas with the highest potential job loss, through to those localities with low potential job loss.

Other papers today will initiate discussion of the Job Guarantee from both a capacity and behavioural economics view point. Language proficiency and its effect on employment incomes for migrants will also be discussed.

Thursday 5 December

Gold Walkley award-winning Newcastle Herald journalist Joanne McCarthy will give the keynote address, entitled "Economics and the Media", which will explore how the media frames, debates and influences the way the public considers complex issues.

Professor Bill Mitchell will lead a discussion on the use of metaphors in economic theory. Other topics will include long-term youth unemployment, Indigenous employment, homelessness and flexible labour markets. Papers include topics on inflation, fiscal adjustment and financial instability.

Full conference program.

The conference will be held on Wednesday 4 December and Thursday 5 December on Level 4 of University House at the University of Newcastle's city campus.

For interviews: Professor Bill Mitchell on 0419 422 410.


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