The Impact Of Unemployment On Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People

Health risk increased with unemployment. There is evident that the health risk is higher in areas where unemployment is common. Stable and secure work improves to individual’s job satisfaction, well-being and health. Deteriorate illness and premature death caused by higher unemployment (Wilkinson & Marmot 2003). A number of research form many foreign countries shows individuals and their families face comparatively high risk of premature death (Wilkinson & Marmot 2003). Australia indigenous peoples accounted for 2.4% of the Australian population, the impact of factors such as unemployment, imprisonment, low-income, eligible housing, lead them to life expectancy 9-12 years less than other Australian population(Cunningham & Paradies 2013).

An increase or decrease in the unemployment rate can have a multiple effects on the Australian economy, both beneficial as well detrimental to the economic conditions and the societal outlook.

For the last 200 years Indigenous people have been victims of discrimination, prejudice and disadvantage. Poor education, poor living conditions and general poverty are still overwhelming issues for a large percentage of our people and we remain ‘as a group, the most poverty stricken sector of the working class’ in Australia (Cuthoys 1983).

“Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people have a greater amount of disadvantage and significantly more health problems than the non-Aboriginal & Torres strait Islander population in Australia”

Inequality in health is one of the most controversial topics within Australian Health Care. Inequality in relation to health is defined as being “differences in health status or in the distribution of health determinants between different population groups” (World Health Organization, 2012). Within Australia inequality affects a wide range of population groups; however Indigenous Australians are most widely affected therefore this paper will focus on how inequality has impacted their health. Research shows that Australia’s Indigenous people suffer from a multitude of social and economic inequalities such as inadequate access to nutritious food and health care, being socially and

Thus Indigenous Australians have are higher rates of unemployment, homelessness, poor school attendance, poor health, family violence and substance abuse than non-Indigenous Australia (Weatherburn, 2014).

Further, low income, unemployment, racism, lack of education further deteriorate their quality-of-life and well-being (Carson, Dunbar, Chenhall, & Bailie, 2007). Therefore “closing the gap” on indigenous disadvantage is crucial for archive equality in life expectancy, health status, education and employment between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians (Black & Richards, 2009).

What might explain these statistics, or at least serve as correlations, are the determinants of health. If the reader is not familiar with the determinants of health, the World Health Organisation (WHO) provides an explanation of them. In essence, these health determinants are factors that have significant impact upon one’s health. The main determinants for health are: socioeconomic status, where the rich and upper classes tend to be healthier; education, where low education is linked to stress, lower self-esteem and poorer health choices; environment, where purer air, cleaner water, healthier workplaces and better housing contribute to being healthier; health services, where access to services and proper equipment all contribute to health; as well as gender, genetics, culture and social behaviour (WHO, 2016). As there are so health determinants, where essays can be written on one alone, it is not within the scope of this essay to critically analyse each determinant for Indigenous Australians. With this in mind, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2014) documents an extensive list of data for Indigenous health, most of which discusses issues which are out-of-scope for this analysis. What is relevant, however, is outlined next. Across the board, in 2011, the Indigenous population was younger than the non-Indigenous population due to high fertility and mortality rates with those

This make them to be most disadvantage in our society. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have experienced social, cultural, economic, legal and political discrimination. They had experience dislocation and dispossession from their traditional land and culture. Some of them had loss of traditional languages. They are being separate from children and families. They were forbidden to speak in their own language or to practice their culture. There were laws that limiting their rights. Many had died through the disease that was brought by the European colonial. They have suffer physically, mentally and socially abuse as a result of these historical issues (Wikipedia

Proportionally, more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups live in poverty than any other group in Australia. Indigenous Australians have moderate access to economic and educational resources with a significant high level of social isolation, particularly in rural and remote locations. In Australia over one million people live in chronic deprivation. Indigenous Australians are among the population; they are more likely to experience severe disadvantages in comparison to non-indigenous Australians. In communities, there are clear disparities encompassing indigenous health, education, housing and employment levels. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people obtain the lowest employment rates in the county. 52.2 per cent of Indigenous Australians between the age of 15 and 64 years were unemployed in 2012-2013, compared with 24.4

The term ‘Indigenous’ is generally used when referring to both First Nations’ people of Australia — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. (Aboriginal Services Branch , 2009) the term 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people' is preferred in Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) publications—however, the term 'Indigenous' is used interchangeably with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the essay.

The World Health Organisation ‘dietary risks’ as the important reason of illness and death in Australia exceeding both smoking and obesity(Browne J, Gleeson D). Arming Indigenous people with quality education would afford them with opportunities to secure better jobs, ensuing quality life through higher incomes and good health. The education sector would need special improvements in the form of genuine cooperation and discussion between Education providers and Indigenous Australians. The foremost emphasis part must be generating alertness among the family as it applies strong inspiration on children’s attitude towards school and ensures attendance, specifically in rural areas. A right step towards this direction is the five year Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan 2010-2014, in which, education providers would close the educational gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students through six essential policy requirements. More on, government needs to take some steps with indigenous people. For example by proving free educational campaign and necessary education to all the indigenous students. The indigenous people are more dependent on the government schemes and welfare which resulting in increasing in poverty and unemployment. Why they are more dependent on government because they don’t have much employment opportunities. The AICC [Australian Indigenous Chamber of Commerce (Indigenous Chamber)] was launch to encourage and help the interests of Indigenous Australians through economic individuality. Employment opportunities not only help them financially but they also support them to secure their future and helps to improve standard of living. For greater employment opportunities for Indigenous people. Governments and employers have to work together with them and

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, currently there is a 4.9% unemployment rate within the United States. This equates to approximately 7.8 million American citizens unemployed and actively seeking employment. Due to the stress that develops from being unemployed, people who are unemployment are more likely to develop poor health behaviors and lack the resources to acquire quality clinical care. According to a study individuals who are unemployed are more likely to drink and smoke excessively, have poor exercise habits and live a sedentary lifestyle. There is a higher mortality rate among unemployed individuals. Based on an article written in AM J Public Health Journal research has discovered that there is a high rate of suicide,

Social mistreatment, including racism and discrimination, has a profound link to the fluctuation of poverty rates around the world. Discrimination based on a person’s race, religion or ethnicity has shown to boost exclusion and upturn poverty rates amongst certain groups, in this sense Indigenous Australians, who will suffer both physically and mentally from unequal access to goods and services. (Australian Government , 2011) (Australian Government, 2008).

In 2006 the Government published a report “Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage” which showed that approximately 32% of Indigenous people lived in major cities, a further 21% lived in inner regional areas, 22% in outer regional areas. An estimated 9% lived in remote areas and 15% in very remote areas: compare this to 90% of Non-Indigenous people who live in major cities or inner regional areas. These figures show that almost half the Indigenous population has very limited access to many services. Another obstacle to formal education and training is cultural attitude which has only recently began to change as the Indigenous community becomes more politically aware and sophisticated. In 2006 there were only 36% of students completing year 12, in comparison 76% of non-Indigenous students finished year 12. Economically the average Indigenous family is much worse off, earning a median income that is 65% of non-Indigenous households, add to this the historical absence of western scholarship and it is obvious that there is not an equality of opportunity available to most of the Indigenous population.