What are wage subsidies and can your business get them?

Wage subsidies are a way the government can help businesses of all sizes employ new staff by reducing the cost of hiring them.

Not only are they a way to offset your costs of a new hire, but they can also be a great way to build your business and give you greater flexibility in your hiring options.

With some subsidies worth up to $10,000, it’s certainly something worth looking into if you’re looking to expand your team.

Through the government’s Workforce Australia program (which replaces jobactive), a subsidy may be available for eligible new employees. There are different subsidies up to $10,000 for various groups of job seekers who are:

• Between 15 to 29 years of age
• Indigenous Australians
• 50 years of age and over
• A parent
• Long term unemployed individuals who have completed 12 months in a Workforce Australia Services program

You can access subsidies of up to $1,650 for job seekers registered with Disability Employment Services.

And apprenticeships and trainee placements are also eligible for a wage subsidy, along with other financial incentives.

If your business is eligible, you can get your payments over six months and choose how often the payments are made. It can be weekly, fortnightly or monthly – whatever works best for you.

Is your business eligible for a wage subsidy?

The first thing to do is talk to an Employment Services Provider like APM to find out more about the subsidies relevant to you and your positions and see if you qualify.

You can be offered a wage subsidy if:

• Your business has an Australian Business Number (ABN) and is not an Australian, state or territory government agency
• The person you hire is a new employee that you have never previously employed, and they meet the eligibility requirements for the wage subsidy
• The position you offer is expected to be ongoing and for 20 hours or more per week, averaged over the six months of the wage subsidy period, and complies with employment standards for the position, such as the minimum wage

How do you apply for a wage subsidy?

As a government registered Employment Services Provider, APM can help you navigate the wage subsidy eligibility and application process. We’ll do this when you hire a job seeker through our Workforce Australia Services programs.

Essentially, if your business and the candidate meet the criteria, you can apply for a wage subsidy for each eligible job seeker you hire through APM.

It can be easy to find you the right candidate and secure a wage subsidy to help your business grow when you have someone like an APM employment consultant working for you.

If you're looking for new employees and want to know more about how wage subsidies can support your businesses, contact the team at APM by calling 1800 276 932 or email apm4jobs@apm.net.au