The Australian Bureau of.............>

AUSTRALIA DATA: The Australian Bureau of Statistics has begun a new series of

weekly releases on employment and wages based on data from the Australian

Taxation Office.

- Total jobs were down by 5.5% for the week ended April 4, down 6% for the

period 14/3 thru 4/4.

- Total wages paid by employers over the same period were down by 5.1%, down

6.7% 14/3 thru 4/4.

- Under-20s bore the brunt of the job losses, with a 9.9% decrease in

employment.

- In terms of sectors, the accommodation and food services, the hospitality

industries, were hardest hit, with job losses at 25.6%

- Employment in the arts and recreation services fell 18.7%, with mining the

next hardest hit with a 8.4% fall.