Anthony Albanese,at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney,says the government has to consider a transition system for the JobKeeper program.Credit:Kate Geraghty
He said the federal government had already increased infrastructure spending,citing last week's announcement of more than $1 billion in extra projects for local councils,and would continue to look for more work to support.
"We are looking together,as states and at a federal level,to find those projects that can happen as soon as possible,"he said.
"It is not part of the next step,it is part of the now step and will continue to be. It is an important part of the economic plan we have been pursuing before the crisis and during the crisis."
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said the government had shown complacency even before the pandemic,urging it to look at a transition period for JobKeeper to support particular industries.
"The idea that it just ends on one day ... which is what the Prime Minister has committed to,is absurd,is counterproductive[and] will damage the economy as well as hurt the workers directly affected,"he said.
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics suggests the government will need to provide ongoing support for many workers.
It found 63.2 per cent of working Australians reported holding a job in mid-May,effectively the same level as early April when key parts of the economy were closed. Almost 59 per cent of people said they were working paid hours. Ahead of the pandemic shutdowns,this was 64 per cent.
Figures from the Reserve Bank showed that through April,personal credit fell by a record 3 per cent as demand for goods such as cars and holidays collapsed. Over the year,personal credit has fallen by 9.3 per cent,the largest annual drop in records that go back to September 1977.
Loans to households via credit cards dropped by almost 11 per cent in the month to reach a 12-year low.
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