THE extent of the unemployment crisis in the south-east was put into focus last Friday when small-business owners from across the region met to share stories of their struggles.
The setting was a community jobs forum aimed at giving business owners advice on how to keep employees on the payroll.
The event was initiated by federal Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull and La Trobe MP Jason Wood in the hope of combating the threat of soaring unemployment rates across the outer south-east.
Last week, the Journal reported that most suburbs in the south-east were at a high risk of suffering major job losses.
For some business owners the economic crisis has already hit hard.
Small-business owner Trisha Jonescu, who attended the forum, said she had already had to let 20 staff go.
"It's hard competing as a small business when faced with such hefty compliance costs - we're treated like big corporations," she said.
Mr Turnbull said the forums gave grassroots employers a chance to learn from each other. "We want to find out how they are travelling and what they believe governments can do, or should do, to keep Australians on the payroll and encourage more employment."
The forum covered competitiveness in a global market and incentives for a number of sectors.
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