Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the loss of nearly 600,000 jobs in April is “devastating” for Australian families and communities affected by government restrictions and business shutdowns.
The comments come after the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) announced the unemployment rate rose from 5.2 per cent in March to 6.2 per cent in April.
“Almost 600,000 jobs have been lost, every one of them devastating for those Australians, for their families and communities,” the Prime Minister said.
“A very tough day, terribly shocking, although not unanticipated.”
Mr Morrison said Australians should prepare themselves for similar announcements as the impact from the coronavirus shutdowns continued to become clear.
“We knew there would be hard news as the pandemic reaps an impact on Australia, as it is on countries around the world,” he said.
“In the months ahead, we must brace ourselves for further hard news for Australians to take, but it’s important on a day like today that we remember to support each other.”
The rate is less than economists expected, with some surveyed by Reuters expecting the unemployment rate for April to reach 8.3 per cent.
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the reason for the lower-than-expected rise in unemployment was because of the Government’s JobKeeper program.
“Today’s unemployment numbers reveal the real and painful economic impact of the coronavirus,” he said.
“There is still a long way to go and the economic numbers will get worse before they get better.
“[Australians] know their government has their back.”
Mr Frydenberg said of the 594,000 people no longer in work, the majority — 325,000 — were women and the youth unemployment rate also rose to 13.8 per cent, up from 11.5 per cent.
“This reiterates why our financial commitments to respond to the coronavirus were, and are, so important,” he said.
More to come.
Source: ABC News