Job help fears grow

Latest figures show 24,100 still rely on COVID support

MORE than 24,000 Tasmanians were still relying on JobKeeper at the end of 2020, new figures show.

The federal government has highlighted the decline in the number of people on JobKeeper, as the Coalition pushes ahead with its plan to end the job-saving payment next month.

The Australian Taxation Office data shows that in Tasmania around 68,900 employees received payments over the first phase of JobKeeper to September, compared with 24,100 over the second phase to December — a fall of 65 per cent.

In Hobart, around 29,000 employees received payments over the first phase, compared with 11,200 over the second phase. In Launceston, around 19,200 employees received payments over the first phase, compared with 6000 over the second phase.

Nationally 1.54 million people were on JobKeeper at the end of December.

The payment, which enables employers to continue to pay staff stood down due to the COVID-19 downturn, ends on March 28.

Marking the release of the

JobKeeper data, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg talked up the nation’s economic recovery and the number of people transitioning off the payment.

“We have more than half a million businesses employing more than two million Australians graduating off JobKeeper,” Mr Frydenberg said.

“These improvements have been broad based across the country and we have seen encouraging signs across all sectors.

“We know that some families and businesses are still doing it tough and my message to those people is that the Morrison government continues to have your back. With 785,000 jobs created in the last seven months, our focus continues to be getting people back into work.

“Our Economic Recovery Plan will continue to support the economy through measures such as tax cuts, business incentives, the JobMaker Hiring Credit and a record investment in skills and training.”

However welfare organisations fear the end of JobSeeker will push thousands of Tasmanians onto the JobSeeker unemployment payment, which is also going to be reduced next month.

The JobSeeker coronavirus supplement, which recently fell to $150 a fortnight, ends March 31. That will bring fortnightly payments for single people back to $565.70 a fortnight, down from the $1100 a fortnight provided in response to COVID-19 last year.

The community sector and the federal Opposition have called for the base rate of JobSeeker to be increased.

The Deloitte Access Economics Business Outlook released last month said the withdrawal of JobKeeper and the reduction of JobSeeker would particularly hurt Tasmania.