Employer Guide to Hiring the Long-Term Unemployed: Benefits, Incentives, and Best Practices
Why Hire Long-Term Unemployed People?
The Business Case
- Untapped talent pool: With labour shortages across sectors, the long-term unemployed represent a significant source of available workers
- Loyalty and retention: Employees who have struggled to find work often demonstrate exceptional gratitude and commitment (CIPD, 2022)
- Government incentives: Significant financial support is available (see below)
- Diversity of perspective: People who have experienced hardship bring resilience and empathy
- Social impact: Reducing long-term unemployment benefits the broader economy and community
Addressing Employer Concerns
- "Skills will be outdated": Offer refresher training — the cost is typically less than recruiting a fully qualified candidate
- "They'll be unreliable": Evidence shows that with proper onboarding support, attendance rates are comparable to other hires
- "Something must be wrong with them": Long-term unemployment is usually caused by structural factors (disability, caring responsibilities, economic conditions), not personal failings