Two fulltime staff will lose their jobs on October 2, just three months after the job agency opened for business in July this year.

Jobs Australia Chief Executive Officer Nigel Barlow said he was disappointed that the company had to close down the Tenterfield office, but that it was a necessity because it did not have enough local clientele to stay workable.

“It is unfortunate. We were committed to the local area, we had signed a three year lease for the building,” Mr Barlow said.

Jobs Australia and Joblink Plus began services in Tenterfield within two days of each other at the start of July under tender for the Federal Government’s Job Services Australia. They joined Best Employment in Tenterfield, which has been in operation for almost 10 years.

Mr Barlow estimated that there were from 240 to 270 unemployed people in Tenterfield, but could not say if there was enough clientele for three job agencies to remain sustainable.

But why, after so many years with only a single employment agency, did Tenterfield suddenly need three?

After all, a trebling in job agencies does not mean that there are more jobs on offer for the unemployed.

The answer is competition.

“The Federal Government was just looking to ensure that there is healthy competition in all its sites,” Mr Barlow explained.