Experience and suitability of job applicants: two policy issues from a survey of employers

A survey of Christchurch employers advertising job vacancies in January 2001 found that far more positions required experience in a similar job than required a specific qualification, and that two-thirds of applicants were considered not suitable by the advertising employer. These results raise two important policy questions. First, will increased classroom-based training meet employer requirements? Second, is the current regime of work testing and low benefit levels encouraging some people to apply for jobs that they have no chance of being offered, creating costs for both employers and the jobseekers?