Payroll jobs still 5.7% below pre-COVID levels

Tuesday 14 July 2020

The ABS has released its Weekly Payroll Jobs and Wages survey, which reveals that total payroll jobs at the end of June remained 5.7% below mid-March when Australia recorded its 100th COVID-19 case. Total wages, which have been bolstered by emergency income support, have also fallen by 3.2%.

However, job numbers have rebounded 3.3% from their low in mid-April, meaning around one-third of jobs initially lost have been regained:

As shown above, VIC has suffered the steepest job losses, whereas WA has suffered the biggest wage falls.

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About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.