ABS: Impact From Lockdowns Remain Highly Visible In Payrolls

The ABS notes that "payroll jobs fell by 0.7% in the fortnight to 14 August 2021, compared to a fall of 1.8% in the previous fortnight, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today. The largest falls in payroll jobs in the first half of August were in New South Wales (down 1.2%), Queensland (down 1.0%), the Australian Capital Territory (down 0.7%) and Victoria (down 0.6%). These four states and territories had lockdowns for either all or part of the first half of August, in addition to existing restrictions and border closures across the country. Payroll jobs in South Australia rose by 1.5% in the first two weeks of August, following the lockdown in late July when payroll jobs fell by 2.0%."

• "New South Wales and Victoria accounted for more than two-thirds (70.0 per cent) of payroll jobs lost in the latest fortnight, which is greater than their pre-pandemic share of payroll jobs (58.4 per cent in mid-March 2020). Impacts from lockdowns continue to be highly visible in payroll jobs data, particularly when the two largest states are both in lockdown. We have also seen how rapid the recovery in payroll jobs can be, when the lockdowns end, such as in South Australia during August 2021 and in the six weeks after the end of Victoria's sixteen week lockdown last year."