COVID-19: Jobs, industry & the economy

Written and accurate as at: 20 May 2021

As it stands, in terms of COVID-19*, globally, there are a reported 164,599,884 cases, 3,412,908 deaths, and 1,535,011,367 vaccine doses administered. And, nationally, there are a reported 29,992 cases, 910 deaths, and 3,183,324 vaccine doses administered.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is first and foremost a public health issue, we have all seen (or experienced) other clear and significant issues, be they economic, financial, physical, mental or emotional.

With this in mind, this Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) video provides an insightful snapshot of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on jobs, industry and the economy in Australia (March 2020 to March 2021).

For example, in April 2020:

  • Underemployment hit a historic high of 13.8% (1.8M Australians were working reduced or 0 hours).
  • 44% of businesses said JobKeeper helped keep staff employed.

*Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE). GIS Dashboard: Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by Johns Hopkins CSSE.