Unemployment up only slightly - but it's early days yet

The Federal Government has conceded the unemployment rate will get far worse in coming months as the COVID-19 restrictions bite.The unemployment rate for March is 5.2 per cent - up slightly from February's 5.1 per cent. But the data was collected before the massive job market upheaval of recent weeks.

A queue outside centerlink office Source: AAP

While COVID -19 lockdowns have effectively slowed Australia's economy to a crawl, Melbourne plumber Emmanuel Al-Jinavo [[jin-AH-vo]] has found his work has become particularly busy.

While COVID -19 lockdowns have effectively slowed Australia's economy to a crawl, Melbourne plumber Emmanuel Al-Jinavo [[jin-AH-vo]] has found his work has become particularly busy. 

And while the ((Thu 16/4)) official labour force report shows a near 6,000 increase in the number of jobs created last month, Ernst and Young chief economist Jo Masters says the figures don't tell the full story of the virus impact.