The latest unemployment rates for Newcastle and the Hunter paint a dim picture for the region as the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic continues to take its toll on jobs.
The latest Bureau of Statistics figures show more than 40,000 jobs have been lost in the Hunter since the start of the pandemic in February, and the figure is expected to keep climbing as JobKeeper payments fall.
The jobless rate for June rose by 1 per cent in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie on the previous month to 11.1per cent, while in the Hunter Valley, the rate rose from 5.9 to 7.4 per cent.
The youth unemployment figure is even more disturbing, with 24.8 per cent of young people out of work in Newcastle.
The ABS jobs survey estimates 21,500 Newcastle people were unemployed in June, a record since regional figures were first collected in 1998.
Hunter Business Chamber CEO, Bob Hawes says the latest figures come as a shock.
"We had hoped that we had reached the bottom of the trough last month, so it is worrying to see unemployment continuing to worsen," he said.
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| Hunter Business Chamber CEO Bob Hawes |
