Slowing fall in Victorian payroll jobs

Payroll jobs across Australia fell by 0.4 per cent over the month to 22 August, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.

Bjorn Jarvis, head of Labour Statistics at the ABS, said: “Over the month to 22 August, payroll jobs fell by 2.0 per cent in Victoria while for the rest of Australia, payroll jobs rose 0.1 per cent. While payroll jobs continued to fall in Victoria into the third week of August, it was at a slower rate than earlier in the month.”

Nationally, payroll jobs at 22 August were 4.2 per cent below mid-March, when Australia recorded its 100th confirmed COVID-19 case. Payroll jobs in Victoria were 7.9 per cent below the level reported in mid-March, compared with 2.9 per cent for the rest of Australia.

Across Australia, payroll jobs in the Accommodation and food services and the Arts and recreation services industries have suffered the largest losses during the COVID-19 period.

“While Accommodation and food services and Arts and recreation services have recovered close to half (40 per cent and 49 per cent) of payroll jobs lost since the low point in mid-April, they remain 21 per cent and 14 per cent lower than mid-March,” Mr Jarvis said.

“These industries remain particularly hard hit in Victoria, where payroll jobs were 38 per cent and 23 per cent respectively below mid-March,” Mr Jarvis said.

In mid-March, the four industries with the largest share of payroll jobs (41 per cent) were Health care and social assistance; Retail trade; Professional, scientific & technical services; and Education & training. By 22 August, these industries were back to over 96 per cent of the payroll jobs recorded in mid-March.

Further information is available in Weekly Payroll Jobs and Wages in Australia (cat. no. 6160.0.55.001).

The ABS would like to acknowledge the continued support from the Australian Taxation Office in enabling the ABS to produce the statistics, providing weekly insights into the Australian labour market.