Tens of thousands of Victorian businesses have rushed to sign up to the JobKeeper program
Almost 30,000 Victorian businesses have rushed to seek urgent financial assistance during the latest stage four restrictions, new figures reveal.
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Exclusive: Almost 30,000 Victorian businesses have rushed to seek urgent financial life support during the state’s harshest lockdown, new figures have revealed.
Latest Australian Taxation Office data obtained by News Corp has shown the number of businesses on the Federal Government’s JobKeeper program climbed from 266,130 at the end of July to 296,000 by September 6.
That is an 11 per cent increase and a rise up to three times greater than other states during the same period.
The large jump came at the same time Melbourne has endured it’s toughest stage four restrictions introduced by the state government’s on August 2.
This forced many businesses to shut including cafes, restaurants, hairdressers, beauty salons and retail outlets and confined more than five million Melburnians to their home.
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Premier Daniel Andrews’ tough measures would continue to decimate business and destroy livelihoods.
“Stage four restrictions introduced by the Victorian Government have had and will continue to have a severe economic impact on the Victorian and Australian economy,” he said.
“More than 290,000 businesses covering around 975,000 employees in Victoria are being supported by the Morrison Government’s JobKeeper payment.”
Treasurer Frydenberg said more than $20 billion in economic support had been delivered to Victorians so far.
It is forecast by December six out of every ten 2.24 million people on JobKeeper in the December quarter are expected to be from Victoria.
In the other states businesses on JobKeeper climbed by at a much slower pace, in NSW another 12,130 sought support (up 3.6 per cent), Queensland 6200 (up 3.4 per cent), WA 3220 (up 3.5 per cent), SA 2120 (up 3.7 per cent), Tasmania 530 (up 3.3 per cent), ACT 460 (up 4 per cent) and NT 170 (up 3.3 per cent).
The Federal Government is winding back JobKeeper payments this month but the program is being extended until March next year.
Liberal MP for Goldstein Tim Wilson hit out at the state government for its harsh lockdown stance.
“We can dance around it as much as we want, Victorian businesses are being smashed by the lockdown and risks being the dead weight on the national economic recovery,” he said.
“The sooner the lockdown ends the fewer small businesses fall over and jobs lost.”
More than $20 billion in economic support has been delivered to Victorians to date.
Australian Industry Group’s chief executive Innes Willox said, “Victoria’s economy is on a fast downhill slide but is nowhere near the bottom”.
“This data reflects a sad story and is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said.
“Things are becoming worse by the day and the state government still doesn’t have a coherent economic response.”
He said the blanket lockdowns and restrictions have “massive economic and human consequences”.
“There is enormous stress being felt by thousands of businesses unable to open, barely operating or unable to attract customers,” Mr Willox said.
“Every day more of lockdown means more pain ahead.”
Originally published as Tens of thousands of Victorian businesses have rushed to sign up to the JobKeeper program