Many students were finding it difficult to obtain holiday employment in Canberra, it was reported on this day in 1969.
A spokesman for the Commonwealth Employment Service said more high school and university students were looking for employment in Canberra that year than in 1968, and it was difficult to fill all applications.
The building industry, which was a big employer in Canberra, was not accepting as many students.
Students over the age of 17 working in the building industry could receive an award wage of $50.
Commenting on the general unemployment position in Canberra at the time, the spokesman said the outlook was optimistic.
At the end of October, there were only five men and four women on unemployment benefit in Canberra.
These were mainly people unable to work be cause of sickness or disability, he said.
The employment position had progressively improved since the previous year, when at the end of January there were 306 men and 150 women unemployed compared with only 260 men and 167 women at the end of January in 1969.
At the end of July 1968, there were 145 men and 116 women unemployed, compared with 110 men and 76 women at the same time in 1969.
This had improved even further so that there were 107 men and 175 women unemployed at the end of October, compared with 114 men and 92 women reported as employed at the end of October 1968.
See https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/107906149/11674535
