By Laura Michell
More than 22,000 people across Melbourne’s north-west have lost their jobs since March, new Australian Bureau of Statistics data reveals.
The ABS data, released late last month, shows that 180,200 people in the north-west were employed during May, down 22,600 from March when 202,800 people had a job.
The north-west region takes in Hume as well as parts of the Macedon Ranges, Moreland and Brimbank.
According to the ABS labour force data, the unemployment rate in the north-west rose from 7.3 per cent in March to 9.6 per cent in May – the highest rate in Victoria.
In Melbourne’s north-east, which takes in Whittlesea, Banyule Nillumbik and parts of Darebin and Mitchell, 20,400 people have lost their jobs since March.
According to the ABS, 296,500 people were employed in March, falling to 276,100 in May.
The unemployment rate has risen from 4.5 per cent in March to 5.2 per cent in May.
The new figures come as Hume mayor Carly Moore raised concerns about the impact of a second COVID-19 shutdown on businesses and their staff.
Cr Moore said Hume had already seen a lot of job losses through the loss of traditional manufacturing and was now experiencing more unemployment.
She said domestic and international flight restrictions had been a major blow to employment, with Melbourne Airport one of the biggest employers of Hume residents.
“This [the return to lockdown] is going to make it worse,” she said.
“We won’t truly know what the impact will be for some time. Businesses will have to make tough decisions on their viability.”
Federal treasury figures reveal that the 3064 postcode had one of the highest take-ups of the JobKeeper program in the state, with 2876 businesses in Craigieburn and surrounds signing up for the program.
