36,000 workers in NSW lost their jobs in the month of July, while the Morrison Government continues to refuse the reimplementing of JobKeeper to help workers stay connected to their employers.

Australians have also lost 3 million hours of work in July, according to the most recent ABS Labour Force figures.

Many people are dropping out of the labour force altogether – a reflection that those who’d already lost their jobs found it difficult to find work again and have stopped looking.

The Morrison Government must act fast to support working Australians who are being stood down from work due to persistent lockdowns. This must include bringing in JobKeeper 2 – for all workers, anywhere it’s needed across the whole country, and without employer rorts – to ensure that workers remain connected to their place of employment.

Unions urge the Morrison Government to implement JobKeeper 2, before the situation becomes more dire.

Quotes attributable to ACTU President Michele O’Neil,

“The loss of any jobs is devastating but unemployment figures will only get worse if the Morrison Government doesn’t act fast while the pandemic is still with us.

“We are watching the situation in NSW unfold, and it is affecting the whole nation. Workers are being stood down from their jobs, are unable to work because of lockdowns, and are not receiving nearly enough support from this Federal Government.

“The fact that there are so many Australians who are tired, fatigued and struggling to find work to the point where they’ve dropped out of the labour force altogether is a telling story of how little this Government prioritises job security for its people.

“The Morrison Government’s failed vaccine rollout is the reason we’re still even in such a precarious situation, where people’s jobs are up in the air. We’re in lockdown, then out again. We need JobKeeper 2, to keep workers connected to their place of work, and give them some peace of mind and confidence about the future.”