Job losses to rise as economic slide hits Top End businesses

Some Territorians are losing work as the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll on the economy, but the NT Chamber of Commerce and local businesses are working to help those struggling.

Conor McLeod has lost his job as a result of coronavirus. Picture: Che Chorley

CONOR McLeod is one of the first to feel the economic impacts of coronavirus as the NT Chamber of Commerce and local businesses work to help those struggling.

On Friday he worked his last shift at a local events company.

The company has been forced to slow things down as a result of events across the region being cancelled or postponed.

The Fannie Bay resident said he hadn’t expected the pandemic to have such sweeping effects so quickly.

“I’m feeling OK about it, it was kind of expected and a bit of shock to start with just because we never thought coronavirus would have this much of an impact in such a short amount of time,” he said.

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Now Mr McLeod is concerned with how many other people could be in search of a job.

“The one thing that I think will work in my favour is there are going to be a lot less backpackers here so a lot of work that they would fill, the short-term casual, agricultural type work that can only be done at this time of year they will need people working,” he said.

NT Chamber of Commerce president Greg Ireland said work was underway to help Territorians who had found themselves without work.

A job matching website, to be run by the Industry Capability Network, is due to be up and running in the coming days as well as a hotline to provide advice to employers.

He said the tourism industry had been the first to be impacted by job losses.

“I’m aware of jobs that have been lost in the last couple of weeks,” Mr Ireland said.

He said there would be a lot of jobs in the farming sector due to the lack of backpackers in the region who typically fill those roles.

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Chief Minister Michael Gunner said he wanted to see more action from Canberra when it came to supporting people to stay in work.

“The Feds have support for people who lose their jobs – but I want locals to keep their jobs,” he said.

“Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand is giving wage subsidies to small businesses who keep their staff on the books.”