SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian employment fell 1.1% between mid-June and mid-July, weekly data showed on Tuesday, with the biggest lost suffered in the second most populous state of Victoria which is seeing a fresh wave of coronavirus infections.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said total payroll jobs decreased 2.2% in Victoria as additional COVID-19 restrictions were re-introduced.
Nationally, payroll jobs are 5.6% below mid-March levels, when Australia recorded its 100th confirmed COVID-19 case forcing it to introduce strict mobility restrictions.
(Reporting by Swati Pandey and Wayne Cole; Editing by Kim Coghill)
