Australia: Lockdowns weigh on Australia’s labor market in October
Seasonally-adjusted employment fell by 46,300 in October, following 141,100 jobs shred in September. October’s result was driven by a decrease in both part-time and full-time employment.
Meanwhile, the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate rose to 5.2% in October, from September’s 4.6%, marking the highest reading in six months. Moreover, the seasonally-adjusted underemployment increased from 9.2% in September to 9.5% in October. However, the participation rate rose to 64.7% from September’s 65.2%.
Commenting on the release, Robert Carnell, Asia-Pacific regional head of research at ING, stated:
“For one thing, Australia’s employment numbers are almost certainly still reflective of earlier lockdowns. With vaccination rates in NSW and Victoria, the two biggest states passing 80%, the roadmap to re-opening is now underway and we should see employment numbers surge in the coming months as layoffs return to work.”