Job Network

Job Services Australia (formerly known as the Job Network) was an Australian Government-funded network of organisations (private and community, and originally also government) that are contracted by the Australian Government, through the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), to deliver employment services to unemployed job seekers on Government income support payments and employers. It was replaced by the Jobactive program on 1 July 2015.

Job Services Australia providers are initially selected for the network and allocated business through a competitive public tender process, with contract periods running for varying lengths of time determined by the Australian Government. There are over 1,000 sites across Australia delivering Job Services Australia. These sites are managed by DEEWR.

To be eligible for support, people need to be in receipt of eligible income support payments, such as Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance, the Disability Support Pension or Parenting Payment.

Job Services Australia began in 1998 as "Job Network" after the dissolution of the Commonwealth Employment Service (CES). In 1996-97, the Australian Federal Parliament passed legislation to combine the functions of the CES and the Department of Social Security. As a result, Centrelink was created to provide monetary welfare support to people across Australia. The delivery of employment services was tendered out to Job Network organisations whose primary responsibility was to assist people into work.

In 2009, the Rudd Government renamed the program "Job Services Australia".

Job Services Australia is a competitive industry with organisations competing for contracts through tenders. Job Services Australia is currently in its first deed period.

The services provided by Job Services Australia differ according to the level of disadvantage of the job seeker, circumstances or the allowance they are receiving from Centrelink. Services include:

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