Jobs numbers released today show why Australia must act to skill workers and drive investment to create new jobs and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott said.

“Australia has a colossal challenge ahead of it to create the new jobs we’ll need to power our recovery.

“These numbers show almost one million Australians unemployed and another 3.5 million being supported by the government’s JobKeeper program.

“We will have to create as many as two million new jobs to recover, a task that took a decade before COVID-19.

“We’ll also have to make sure people have the skills they need to get those new jobs and to return to work.

“We welcome changes to the skills system announced today that will help workers re-skill faster and give school leavers a pathway to jobs.

“As the Prime Minster has said, jobs are created by successful businesses that can grow, invest and adapt quickly to rapidly changing circumstances.

“We can’t afford to waste the unprecedented level of co-operation we’ve achieved across governments, business, unions and the community as we recover.

“The entire community has pulled together to meet this challenge and we’ll need that same commitment and co-operation to manage the way out of this pandemic.”