Car maker Holden has hailed the success of its program to help its workers find new jobs as it prepares to close its assembly operations in Adelaide.
The company says since it announced the shutdown plans in December 2013, 85 per cent of the 738 people who have left the plant have successfully transitioned to new work, study or retirement.
Its says 75 per cent have secured new jobs and only eight per cent are still actively looking for work.
"Holden has been working very hard behind the scenes to give our workers the best opportunity to secure new positions in other businesses and industries," human resources director Jamie Getgood said on Friday.
"We've also been engaging with employers from around Australia and inviting them to tour our plant to see first-hand the skills of our employees and identify potential job opportunities in their organisations."
But Holden's figures don't include the 955 workers who will finish up on Friday, and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union estimates job losses could still be in the order of 2500 across the company and its supplier network, while some industry analysts put the figure closer to 5000.
Flinders University labour market analyst John Spoehr says the state economy is in better shape now than when Holden announced its decision to end manufacturing, but more needs to be done in SA to grow jobs, especially jobs for those leaving the car maker.
"We need to intensify efforts to ensure that the workers get access to secure jobs over the months to come," Professor Spoehr said.
He says factoring in the impact of the Holden closure on indirect workers, such as those involved with transport companies and retail outlets, the job losses could rise as high as 11,000.
"While efforts to try and reduce the impact of the closure on auto workers are making a difference, the fact remains that thousands of well-paid jobs are being lost, intensifying competition for job vacancies in the state."
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