Unemployment has increased in Australia after several states locked down again in response to the second wave of COVID-19. According to the data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate has increased from 6.8% to 6.9%, but it remains stable below its July 1998 record of 7.5%.
On the other hand, the employment change index fell by 29,500 in the August-September period. The Census Bureau confirmed the disappointing labour market data, with employment rates in Victoria down from 37,000 to 36,000, while the number of working hours in the state decreased from 4.6% to 2.1%.
