00:00I'm following up on the Strategic Procurement Lead Rule.
00:06Dilhara Sivalingam has been out of work since October.
00:09When I submit an application and cross my fingers and look at my laptop, I feel like
00:14on the other side of that laptop someone's going swipe left, swipe left, swipe left,
00:18too expensive, too experienced, don't like her name.
00:22Federal Government for Defence.
00:24The 49-year-old has applied for hundreds of jobs, but the reality is bleak.
00:29I borrowed money from family to keep me going, but at the end of this month I have to ring
00:35the bank and say I can't afford my home.
00:38But there may be some hope.
00:3944,000 jobs were added to the economy in January, all full-time roles, mainly filled by women.
00:47Female workers also made up the bulk of 23,400 people joining the jobless queue, with some
00:53waiting to start new roles.
00:56More people decided to look for, or find work, pushing the participation rate to a
01:00record high.
01:02All this meant the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.1 per cent.
01:06As households have found themselves under greater financial pressure, more women have
01:10returned to work and more women are working full-time.
01:13But the jobs market could get tougher.
01:16It is reasonable to expect that in the months ahead with the sort of uncertain global conditions
01:20that we may see a further slight increase in unemployment.
01:24A number of fashion brands have collapsed and more employers are axing staff.
01:29Westpac just announced 190 job losses and thousands could go in Victoria's public sector
01:35in the coming weeks.
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