Australia employment eases again, weekly payroll data shows

[SYDNEY] Australian employment fell by 0.4 per cent over the month to Aug 22, data showed on Tuesday, with the rate of job losses in the coronavirus stricken Victoria state slowing from a month ago.

The release from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is an experimental weekly series and differs from the monthly official employment data as it is based on wage payment figures from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

The ABS said payroll jobs fell by 2 per cent in Victoria over the month to Aug 22, and rose 0.1 per cent for the rest of Australia.

Payroll jobs in Victoria were 7.9 per cent below the level reported in mid-March, compared with 2.9 per cent for the rest of Australia.

REUTERS