NT jobs lost in COVID-19 crisis expected to hit 21,400 by mid-2020, Prime Minister Scott Morrison reveals

MORE than 11,000 jobs have been lost in the NT since strict coronavirus lockdown measures were imposed – but the staggering number is set to nearly double by the end of next month.

MORE than 11,000 jobs have been lost in the NT since strict coronavirus lockdown measures were imposed – but the staggering number is set to nearly double by the end of next month.

And it is people under 20 years of age, the group most likely to be employed within the hospitality and arts industries, hit the hardest.

New data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics found the number of jobs lost in the NT had slumped by 5.7 per cent in less than five weeks since March 14, equating to about 11,400 positions.

MORE NT CORONAVIRUS NEWS

Revealed: 2000 Territory COVID-19 deaths were predicted

NT’s early role as quarantine hub for Wuhan, Diamond Princess evacuees accelerated pandemic response

Sun may have set on Mindil Beach Sunset Markets for 2020

Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra yesterday. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

But Prime Minister Scott Morrison, speaking after national cabinet yesterday, revealed an estimated 21,400 jobs would be shed in the NT by mid-2020.

The Australian economy is losing $4 billion every week that lockdown measures prevent business from restarting, according to federal Treasury modelling.

Mr Morrison revealed that to date, more than one million Australians have had their claims for JobSeeker processed, about five million Australians are estimated to be on JobKeeper, more than one million people have accessed their own superannuation worth almost $10 billion, and 384,000 businesses are accessing about $7 billion in cash flow assistance.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner, acknowledging the nation’s finances “got whacked”, said the NT would be in a better position to rebound economically as it exited lockdown quicker than other jurisdictions.

The ABS workforce data, based on single touch payroll information sourced from the Australian Taxation Office, found the NT was faring better than the national average, with 7.5 per cent of Australian jobs already lost between March 14 and April 18.

The hardest hit sectors in the NT were accommodation and food services (-29.2 per cent) and arts and recreation (-29 per cent), leaving a combined estimated total of 2986 people without work.

Meanwhile, the public service, which hired about 23,700 Territorians according to latest available ABS data, shed 2.1 per cent of jobs, leaving nearly 500 unemployed.

Full access to our journalism – just $1 for the first 28 days

“All of us are doing our best to try and make sure we get the economy ticking again,” Mr Gunner said.

“We’ve made the Territory the safest place in the country.

“As a consequence of those hard decisions there has been some economic impacts, and we’re doing our best to help business out, help workers out and we’ll keep doing that.”