COVID shutdown destroys tourism & hospitality jobs

Published on : Monday, February 22, 2021

Callam Pickering, an economist at a global jobs site – Indeed, has provided a prompt update on the job listings in Australia. This points to an uneven labour market recovery.

This data is “based on publicly available information on the Indeed Australia website” and measures “the percentage change in seasonally-adjusted job postings since February 1 2020, using a seven-day trailing average”, with February 1 considered the pre-COVID baseline. The data is aimed at providing a “real-time measure of labour market activity”.

Between mid-March until late April, job postings dropped by half. Job postings gradually improved over the remaining part of the year. At the beginning of 2021, it has moved into positive territory.

Job postings at 12 February 2021 were tracking 14.7% above their pre-COVID height.

As all states and territories in Australia have recorded positive growth in job, there is important variation across jurisdictions:

Also, few occupation groups are flourishing, whereas others are constantly undergoing challenges. Jobs in hospitality & tourism experienced maximum shortfall (-46%), showing partial repeated state border close downs and travel disturbances in the middle of virus outbreaks, alongside restrictions on capacity.

The Australian tourism industry won’t get better as long as the quarantine system leaks virus into the community and the Australian government keeps their borders closed and compel people into isolation anytime a few virus cases emerge.

This shows why the policy makers of Australia must make right quarantine rules, as it is the number one defense against virus. Failure in this section unavoidably signifies further community outbreaks, border closures, and economic disruption.

Also, it emphasizes the reason national guidelines require to be developed properly and decided upon governing how states react to the outbreaks of pandemic in other jurisdictions and when borders can close.