Owen Bennett mastered the art of sweeping the floor but little else during a work-for-the-dole stint at an op-shop after he left school.

He was so bored and had so little to do, he came to view the program as one designed to punish the unemployed, not helping them gain skills and experience.

Owen Bennett, founder of the Australian Unemployment Union. Credit:Jason South

Now Mr Bennett, 25, is involved in building a union for the unemployed, in a bid to better advocate for the nearly 750,000 Australians without a job.

Unemployment has been rising and is up by more than 100,000 people in the past three years. The Abbott government has responded with new programs of Work for the Dole and a proposal for unemployed people under 30 to wait up to six months before they receive welfare.