TOUGH times are becoming increasingly apparent for Launceston.
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Economic changes have already brought the closure of once strong industries in the North, and the downstream effects are settling in.
With closures comes a decrease in disposable income and fewer dollars landing in the pockets of local employers.
Impacts are already familiar to young job seekers as they begin to feel the pinch of tightened Newstart regulations.
As a 26-year-old, the problem seems daunting and is often a point of discussion for many of my friends.
One guy I met while walking through Brisbane Street Mall was jamming away on a beaten up acoustic guitar.
We're not overly close, but I stop to chat whenever I see him out playing.
He continues to encourage me with my own music, and always has an open ear when it comes to menial day-to-day problems — a top bloke.
Last month I learned he was busting his guts on that instrument in between study courses to buy bus tickets home.
It was something that really hit hard, I can't help but think how lucky I was to secure a cadetship four years ago, before everything appeared to blow up in the job market.
Unemployment does not mean you lack drive or are unwilling to try, and reverting to study no longer seems like an easy option.
At the beginning of this year Northern Tasmania's youth unemployment rate was at 18.6 per cent, the sixth worst rate in Australia.
I hear from too many young people who are stuck in job-seeking predicaments, their hands bunching overlooked CVs as they vent their frustrations.
"We're looking for someone with experience" is the catchcry relayed by those lucky enough to get a call-back from would-be employers.
A line so rich, it's poor.
Many of those same people have considered Prime Minister Tony Abbott's suggestion of moving interstate for work, a statement criticised by Youth Network of Tasmania in May this year.
Even if they do scrape together enough money to move interstate, what then?
They'd be away from family and friends in search of work they have not yet secured.
As time goes on, the risk of falling into further financial struggles presents itself and, with that, a chance of relying on crime to avoid hunger or homeless.
It is apparent that many Northern Tasmanians are already leaning on illegal activity to get by.
Only this month Launceston detectives reported dramatic increase in amphetamine seizures, snatching nearly $4 million worth in 2013-14.
There are some serious implications in that alone.
For some the report card seems bleak for Launceston, which can still grasp last year's 'most family friendly city in Australia' award as a shield from bad news.
Even those who hold jobs are facing crisis situations — one charity representative last week described rising cases of "the working poor" as cuts to shifts and wages are made.
Aside from sitting back and adding another lash to the long-dead jobs horse, there are other things residents can do to lessen the impact of tough times for others.
Buy local, volunteer for charity, conduct fundraisers or donate funds or items when able.
Keep an eye out for those in need, or those doing it tough and work to establish communication with people in your area.
Reach out to friends who may be falling by the wayside or struggling to work out their own plan of action.
Invite a neighbour over for dinner, give people a place to go, and offer assistance to those in need.
Or, like I wish I had done for my busking friend, offer them a lift.