THE Dunkley electorate is among the hardest hit by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with 7.9 per cent of jobs in the area lost according to a new study.
A study conducted by the Grattan Institute found that only two Victorian electorates were suffering worse than Dunkley when it came to job losses during the COVID-19 crisis.
The Dunkley electorate encompasses Frankston, Mt Eliza, Langwarrin, Skye, and Seaford.
The neighbouring Flinders electorate, which covers the Mornington Peninsula, has also suffered through a job loss rate of 7.9 percent
Dunkley MP Peta Murphy said the area’s high rate of job loss highlighted the need to expand the JobKeeper program.
“The JobKeeper wage subsidy is not reaching all the people who need it. We know they got the numbers wrong by $60 billion, now is the time to support workers in Dunkley,” she said. “The [federal government] should start by heeding my call to extend JobKeeper to support workers in the arts and entertainment sector, at Monash University Peninsula Campus, for casuals and PARC employees.
“The governor of the Reserve Bank has warned the federal government the JobKeeper program may need to be kept going beyond its current cut off date to avoid the Australian economy falling off a cliff. If Morrison continues with his plan to cut off JobKeeper in September, Dunkley locals will feel even more unemployment pain.”