Latest weekly data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reveals that employment numbers in the country fell by 1% MoM in the week ending on August 8. The decline in employment levels was driven by lockdowns imposed in the state of Victoria which reported a fresh surge in the number of coronavirus cases recently.

The report also shows that employment figures fell by 2.8% in Victoria. Unlike the official employment data, this weekly number is arrived at by looking at wage payment figures from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Head of Labor Statistics at ABS, Bjorn Jarvis, stated, “Over the month to 8 August, payroll jobs fell by 2.8 per cent in Victoria. Some of the initial impacts from the Stage 4 restrictions, are shown in the latest weekly data as they came into effect.”

The latest employment numbers remain around 4.9% less than the figures during mid-March – just before the pandemic hit and forced Australia to go into lockdown mode. After posting a slight recovery between mid-April and mid-June, payroll jobs losses stayed around 4-5% lower than levels seen in mid-March.