Australian 'Job Queen' Sarina Russo Sparks Fury by Urging Second Jobs Amid Cost Crisis
Self-proclaimed 'job queen' Sarina Russo has provoked a fierce backlash after criticising Australians who complain about the cost of living crisis, bluntly advising them to secure a second or even third job to make ends meet. The founder of The Sarina Russo Group, an education and training provider, consistently ranks among Australia's wealthiest women, with a reported net worth of $344 million in 2025 and a global property portfolio that includes an apartment overlooking New York's Central Park.
Russo's Controversial Advice on Personal Responsibility
In a recent interview with the Courier Mail, Russo insisted her success is not due to luck and argued that struggling Australians should cease blaming the Albanese government for their financial difficulties. 'Everyone's going, "Oh, what's in the (May federal) budget?", well, really, what's in your budget, and what are you going to do with what you've got?' she stated. 'Maybe you need a second job. Maybe you need a third job. Maybe you need higher education. Maybe you need to learn AI. The government can only do so much.'
Russo emphasised resilience, adding: 'We all have disappointments but you’ve got to keep going so we don’t become victims in our own mind and then not strive for success.' Her comments come as her employment group, the largest privately-owned services provider for the federal Workforce Australia program, has reportedly received over $1.8 billion in government contracts since 2006.
Online Outrage and Accusations of Hypocrisy
The businesswoman's remarks sparked immediate fury on social media, where many Australians pointed to her reliance on government funding for her Sarina Russo Job Access program. One critic commented under a recent Instagram post: 'Why don't you get a third job and stop relying on [government] funding for your job service?' Another added: 'Sarina, with today's regulations you would have never been allowed to start your business, government regulations are restricting/stopping free choice to make wealth.'
A third user wrote: 'Well you give all that government money back cause you clearly made your fortune off government money you scumbag.' Russo, however, remains unapologetic, noting she has assisted more than a million clients through education, training, and jobs, and counts former US president Bill Clinton and former UK prime minister Tony Blair among her friends.
History of Insensitive Comments and Previous Controversies
This is not the first time Russo's comments have landed her in hot water. In 2024, she posted an Instagram video about financial independence, stating: 'Let’s get a job, let’s get excited, let’s get that passion growing and I’ll see you at the top.' Viewers accused her of insensitivity amid cost-of-living pressures.
More notably, in 2022, she infamously told Queensland flood victims to get up and exercise, saying in a video: 'You know when things are going wrong and the endorphins are low, this is a time you have to exercise.' The video was shared just before Queensland recorded its 13th flood death, with Russo standing by the Brisbane River walk and declaring: 'The desire to get fit every morning, regardless, whether it's raining, whether it's sunny, whether it's too hot, whether it's too cold, icy, snowy, whatever the weather is, if it is to be, it's up to me.'
She has also called for people who are overweight or drink excessively to exercise, asserting: 'In fact, I really believe that fitness is everything. You can say, "You're successful" but if you're not fit, you're overeating, you're addicted to food, alcohol, drugs, smokes, cigarettes, that's not success.' Daily Mail has contacted Ms Russo for comment on the latest controversy.
