Australia is headed for double digit unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the spike in joblessness would be twice as bad were it not for the $130 billion JobKeeper payment, new Treasury analysis reveals.
The analysis, to be released on Tuesday, estimates that the unemployment rate will climb from the pre-pandemic level of 5.1 per cent recorded for February, to a peak of 10 per cent in the June quarter.
Loading...
Phillip Coorey is the political editor based in Canberra. He is a two-time winner of the Paul Lyneham award for press gallery excellence. Connect with Phillip on Facebook and Twitter. Email Phillip at pcoorey@afr.com