Job seekers will have their welfare payments withheld if they fail to turn up for regular progress reports under changes announced by the federal government.
From July, the newly unemployed will be required to attend fortnightly meetings with Centrelink workers about their efforts and prospects for finding a job.
If they fail to show up, they'll have their payments withheld.
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Human Services Minister Chris Bowen said the regular meetings, which last for the first 13 weeks of unemployment, were about giving job seekers the best chances of finding a new job.
The meetings will also help identify any problems with a job seeker's bid to find work.
"This is one of several measures the Rudd government has introduced to help job seekers find work and ensure that no job seeker is left behind," Mr Bowen said in a statement on Thursday.
