Small retailers are rejecting the Morrison government's $130 billion JobKeeper wage subsidy program as too costly, even as two-fifths of the nation's private-sector workers rely on taxpayer support for their wages.most expensive element of the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic
Small businesses say JobKeeper's upfront costs make it difficult to use as figures show two-in-five Australians are getting income support from taxpayers.Federal Treasury on Thursday revealed 768,000 firms had enrolled for JobKeeper, which provides a $1500-a-fortnight wage subsidy per employee for firms whose revenue has dropped at least 30 to 50 per cent. Five million workers are now covered by the program, 1 million short of the government's original expectations.
Dominique Lamb, the association's chief executive, said some small retailers' wage bills for casual staff had jumped 86 per cent as workers who usually did only a few shifts became entitled to a flat $750 a week under JobKeeper.
So, let me get this straight... instead of giving the workers the $1500 p/f the gov is paying them, they are using that money too pay off bank loans and then claiming the subsidy is too costly for them to pay the workers....WTF.
Like, short retailers? Odd.
Too costly ? Not to mention just being a bit of a pain.