Western Sydney International Airport at Badgerys Creek has opened to commercial passenger flights, operating around the clock. Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun says the city is positioned to benefit through jobs, investment and freight links. The airport's cargo precinct is designed to eventually handle up to 1.8 million tonnes of air freight a year. Construction has created more than 12,800 jobs, with around half going to Western Sydney workers. Mannoun says roads, rail and public transport must keep pace with development for residents to reach the new jobs.
Many migrant women in Australia work below their skill level because their overseas qualifications are not recognised, according to Settlement Services International research. Afghan accountant Farukh Tahery took about a year to find work and now studies accounting at TAFE. Australian Multicultural Women's Alliance executive director Malini Raj says the recognition process is costly, slow and fragmented. Advocates have called for a national commissioner to oversee skills recognition for migrants and refugees.
Ahead of New Zealand's November 7 election, voters say the promise of a better life is getting harder to keep. About 350,000 people are estimated to have left over three years, almost half moving to Australia. In Wellington, hundreds protested in August against soaring water bills. One family of three lives in a campervan while the mother undergoes cancer treatment, and housing assistance was reportedly refused. Māori and Pacific communities, hit hardest by unemployment and homelessness, are asking whether politicians will give them a reason to stay.
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Community projects under the Remote Australia Employment Services program are now running in more than 60 remote communities. The projects aim to help job seekers gain skills, experience and paid work. Around 25 per cent of provider funding will go towards locally designed projects. Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy said the projects back local people and ideas. In Port Hedland, Western Australia, Ashburton Aboriginal Corporation is delivering pre-employment training and mentoring.
A new Peer Academy has opened to help young people in the Illawarra and South Coast, aged 18 to 30, build careers in mental health peer work. Run by COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW PHN, the program mixes flexible study, mentoring, hands-on placements and nationally recognised microcredentials. Organisers say it offers an alternative route for people with lived experience who may struggle with conventional courses while managing their wellbeing or caring duties. The academy was co-designed with local young people and existing peer workers, with input from partner organisations.
Disney has agreed to offer jobs to at least 60 employees of chatbot startup Character.AI, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this week. A legal filing reported by Bloomberg says the offers would cover most of the workforce, with an estimated $60 million in annual pay. The filing says the vast majority of those offered positions have accepted them. The deal is a stalking horse bid, meaning another company could still make a higher offer. Character.AI has been affected by high costs and potential litigation and regulatory issues, according to the filing.
Yarrabilba's new Dixon Circuit retail precinct has begun opening, and its first stage is expected to support 155 jobs across food, retail and automotive businesses. Hungry Jack's and Subway are already trading, while Guzman y Gomez and JAX Tyres & Auto are due to open in October. Stockland senior development manager Andrew Erzetich said local employment had been part of the suburb's planning from the outset. Hungry Jack's said its new restaurant alone has created 75 local jobs. A second stage is planned to add bulky-goods retail.
More than 100 women have told Four Corners they lost work after becoming pregnant or having a child. Abby McCawley says she was fired from her role at Ray White Brunswick in Melbourne's inner north, a day after a company post had praised her. The real estate agency says her employment ended over workplace behaviour, a claim she disputes. She is now suing in the Federal Court. Lawyers say pregnant workers face daunting hurdles, and advocates are calling for stronger legal protections.
A former Gordon student has secured a job in community services after completing a work placement through the institution's Community Services program. Aleah Doyle is now a support coordinator with Access Your Supports, having gained practical experience and industry connections during her placement. The program combines classroom learning with real-world experience, with students undertaking placements at local organisations. The Gordon's work placement liaison officer Laura Jordan said placements help students develop industry-ready skills and build professional networks, with many students gaining references, ongoing volunteering opportunities and employment.
Australia's unemployment rate rose to a five-year high of 4.7 per cent in September, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures. Western Australia was the exception, with joblessness falling to 4.2 per cent. Seek chief economist Blair Chapman linked the stronger WA job ads to higher commodity prices, which are supporting mining and energy. Randstad general manager Madeline Hill said 36 per cent of workers were looking for or had taken on a second job to cope with rising living costs. She described a two-speed market, with strong demand for skilled trades linked to data centres.
A man who said he lost a $133,183 government job after complaining about a pride flag has had his compensation case dismissed. Darren Cook took the NSW Department of Planning Housing and Infrastructure to the NSW Industrial Relations Commission, arguing his objections were protected public or political activity. Commissioner Daniel O'Sullivan rejected that argument. He found Mr Cook's motivation was personal, relating to how others might perceive him. The commission found his actions were not a public or political activity.
The WA Government is encouraging First Nations people to attend the Deadly Jobs Expo in Rockingham on Tuesday, October 20. The event runs from 9am to 2.30pm at South Metropolitan TAFE's Rockingham campus. Around 1,000 people are expected, with more than 70 exhibitors offering jobs, apprenticeships, traineeships and training. Employers will be recruiting on the day, and jobseekers are advised to bring an up-to-date resume. WA is expected to need 145,000 additional workers by 2035 in key industries.
Wages are rising more slowly than inflation, according to Commonwealth Bank's latest wage and labour report. Annual wage growth sits at 3.3 per cent, while inflation is running at 4 per cent. CommBank economist Harry Ottley said Fair Work Commission pay rises and higher inflation linked to the US-Iran war have not lifted wages as much as expected. South Australian, Northern Territory and Tasmanian wages are growing fastest at 3.7 per cent, while Victoria and the ACT are lowest at 3 per cent. Unemployment rose to 4.6 per cent in August, and Ottley expects it to keep rising.
Research on software firms finds that code review takes much longer after AI coding agents are introduced. Average review time for pull requests rose 49 percent, and the share of pull requests needing changes nearly doubled. Comments per pull request rose 35 percent. Researchers found AI agents wrote only a small share of review comments, so humans still did most of the review work. The researchers say the extra review time offsets gains in coding speed, which raises questions about whether the cost of AI coding agents is worth it for most companies.
Students at Wadja Wadja High School in Woorabinda, Queensland, are running a cafe and hair salon as part of vocational training. The facilities aim to fill gaps in local services and boost employment skills for the 1,000 residents. Principal Cherie Blinco says attendance has risen since the program began, with 110 students now enrolled. The initiative was introduced after retired principal Hector Costello identified the need for more practical education options.
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Business owners in coastal towns fear a new backpacker ballot will leave them short-staffed. The federal government's plan caps second-year visas at 45,000, with fewer third-year places available. Harry Barry, who runs pubs from Grafton to Taree, says he employs 20 backpackers and cannot find local workers to fill the roles. He supports a push for a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) to attract semi-skilled migrants to the region.
Angus Taylor has accused US companies of lecturing Australia on migration policy. The opposition leader dismissed concerns from rideshare and food delivery services about the Coalition's plan to cut 650,000 temporary visas over four years. The proposal aims to reduce Australia's net intake to 100,000 for two years, then 130,000, and finally 160,000. Mr Taylor argues the cuts are necessary to reduce reliance on guest workers.
Construction has begun on the Arafura Rare Earths Nolans Project, 135km north of Alice Springs. The federal government is contributing $1.2 billion to the $1.6 billion project, which is expected to supply 4-5% of global rare earth demand. The mine and processing plant will employ over 600 workers during construction and around 350 ongoing, with a 250-bed workforce accommodation site set to open by the end of next month. The project is expected to annually produce US$610 million worth of rare earths and US$79 million worth of phosphoric acid.
