Reopening of NT borders lifts job numbers slightly, but not for hospitality industry

REOPENING of the NT border has resulted in the return of more than 1000 jobs, though ever-changing restrictions across the nation have meant next to no improvement for the hospitality industry

REOPENING of the NT border has resulted in the return of more than 1000 jobs, though ever-changing restrictions across the nation have meant next to no improvement for the hospitality industry.

Weekly payroll data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics this week revealed NT jobs from March 14 – when Australia recorded its 100th COVID-19 case – to July 25 were down by 3.1 per cent, an improvement of 0.6 per cent on a fortnight ago.

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With 135,400 people employed in about 200,000 jobs in the NT just before the pandemic hit, this equates to about 6200 jobs lost as at July 25.

The ABS data, which economists have warned is highly volatile, shows a particular improvement in the NT for the mining sector, with the number of job losses shrinking from -10.1 per cent as at July 11 to -3.1 per cent as at July 25.

Minerals Council Australia NT executive director Drew Wagner said reopening of the borders was a small element in the uptick as workers were able to return freely, though other factors included recruitment drives at a “couple of new sites” that were about to come online as others worked toward expansion.

The number of jobs in the food and accommodation sectors improved by just 0.1 per cent despite the data being collated eight days after borders had reopened, with Alex Bruce of peak body Hospitality NT attributing this to uncertainty on borders nationwide.

With the NT warning hot spot areas could be declared at a moment’s notice and states such as Queensland and South Australia bringing back border closures or restrictions due to the ever-changing coronavirus situation, travellers were too anxious to come up in case they are unable to go home.

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It comes as new ABS data reveals the pandemic has dragged quarterly Australian private sector wages down for the first time in 22 years.

The seasonally adjusted wage index lifted 0.2 per cent in the June quarter, bringing the annual pace to 1.8 per cent – a record low.