Retail and hospitality hit hardest as employment rates plummet across inner south in wake of pandemic lockdown
An ad for a sales admin role sparked 800 applications in one business day from desperate job seekers in Melbourne’s inner south. But recruiters say there’s light at the end of the tunnel as the coronavirus restrictions ease.
Inner South
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One in 15 weekly paid jobs in Melbourne’s inner south have been slashed as the true cost of the coronavirus pandemic is revealed.
Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows from Carrum to Kooyong, jobs were down 6.7 per cent since March 14.
The retail and hospitality industries have been among the worst hit, with social distancing restrictions forcing store closures.
The new data comes as ASIC revealed at least 136 businesses had plunged into liquidation or voluntary administration since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The Leader this week revealed popular Port Melbourne and Albert Park cafes Punchbowl Canteen and Fat Albert were among the latest economic victims of the virus.
Lindy Sha from Florist on Hampton in Bayside had to shut her shop and put an employee off when the lockdown started.
“I had no choice but to shut my doors, it was really hard because obviously flowers are fresh products and you can’t store them, so I had to shut,” she said.
“I did have an employee who helped me out and I told him he had to stop working … telling him he had to find another job was awful.”
But fortunately the man was trained as a nurse and found a job in the field immediately.
The florist has now reopened and Ms Sha is looking for another staff member to help her as business picks up.
Linda Lewin from Elle Belle Recruitment in Moorabbin said most businesses were shocked how quickly things changed at the start of lockdown.
“That probably scared a lot of places when it came to recruiting because there was that uncertainty,” she said.
Ms Lewin said the agency had been running for 14 years and feared the fallout from COVID-19 would be worse than the Global Financial Crisis.
“The difference is every industry is affected, and there is a snowball effect with supply chains,” she said.
However, there were positive signs in the past week as businesses began recruiting again.
“People aren’t as reluctant to hire now, but it will be interesting in the next few months because people working from home have been given them the opportunity to reflect on what is important; that work-life balance,” Ms Lewin said.
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“I think there will be a big shift during June with kids going back to school.”
A staggered approach of industries returning would also help limit an influx of people seeking work at the same time.
“We put up an ad for a sales admin role last Friday and by Monday we had 800 applicants, but I think things will start to go back to normal over the next couple of months,” she said.
People can visit ellebelle.com.au to register if they are looking for work or seeking staff.