- Australia saw a 0.9% drop in payroll jobs in the fortnight ending 5 June
- This follows a growth in payroll jobs in the fortnight prior
- Feeling the impact of lockdown, Victoria saw 2.1% fall in payroll jobs in the same fortnight
Nationwide, Australia saw a 0.9% drop in payroll jobs in the fortnight to 5 June, but Victoria led the decline with a fall of 2.1% as the impact of their lockdown rippled across the state.
The early June decline comes after a 0.4% rise the previous fortnight. This is based on the latest ‘Weekly Payroll Jobs and Wages’ data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
“The latest fortnight of data partly overlapped with the first nine days of the lockdown in Victoria. Payroll jobs in the state fell by 2.1 per cent over the fortnight.
Bjorn Jarvis, head of Labour Statistics at the ABS
“Almost every industry in Victoria saw a fall in payroll jobs during this period, with the largest falls seen in the accommodation and food services, and arts and recreation services industries (down 10.2% and 8.0% respectively),” said Mr Jarvis.
It is not unusual for lockdowns to impact jobs. Mr Jarvis says accommodation and food services payroll jobs took a hit with each lockdown, reflecting the impact of restrictions on the hospitality industry. We will likely see the impact of the most recent lockdowns over the coming weeks.
“While the fall in payroll jobs is generally greatest in the state or territory of the lockdown, restrictions that affect interstate travel may also contribute to falls in payroll jobs in the accommodation and food services industry in other states and territories. Payroll jobs in the industry fell in almost every state and territory across the fortnight.”
