Yesterday, the ABS released labour market data for the August quarter, which provides a good snapshot of how the jobs market has changed over the pandemic.
Australia lost 146,600 jobs over the August quarter as NSW, Victoria and the ACT were plunged into lockdowns. These losses were driven by Accommodation & Food Services (-65,000), followed by Education (-50,600), Arts & Recreation (-49,300) and Retail Trade (45,600). By contrast, Manufacturing (91,500) recorded a big lift in jobs over the quarter:
Since the COVID pandemic began (i.e. compared with February 2020), Australia has added 2,300 jobs. However, the distribution of these jobs is highly uneven.
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