Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says unemployment is being made worse by the government's exclusions to its JobKeeper program.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
"When we look at the JobKeeper program,the government is still leaving people behind,particularly the most vulnerable. Our casual employees,people in whole sectors like the arts and entertainment sector aren't getting the support that they need,"he said.
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Mr Morrison said for young people,of whom more than 37 per cent are either out of work or are surviving on reduced hours,the situation was something beyond imagination.
But it is likely to get worse.
The Housing Industry Association said new home sales were now at their lowest level on record with 30 per cent of buildings being cancelled through April.
Association chief economist Tim Reardon said the number of homes expected to be built had been cut in half in a development that will affect hundreds of thousands of jobs and the broader economy
"Even the removal of all COVID-19 restrictions will not prevent a material deterioration in work and employment in the home building sector in the second half of 2020 and into 2021,"he said.
"Unlike the re-opening of other sectors,the lead time for the home building pipeline is six to nine months,so even if the economy restarts on July 1 the supply of work in residential building will continue to decline into 2021."
NAB economist Kaixin Owyong said the figures suggested even with the substantial government support available to Australians,the nation was facing a big reduction in income.
"The data suggest that the corresponding hit to household income is extremely large,which will limit the bounce-back in spending and activity as the economy recovers,"she said.
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