Australian Economists Expect Worse Job Numbers Ahead

Hundreds of people queue outside a Centrelink in Melbourne, on March 23, 2020 William West/AFP via Getty Images

The jump in the jobless rate to the highest level in nearly two decades is only the beginning, with further rises expected in coming months as the impact of COVID-19 takes its toll.

The unemployment rate spiked to its highest level in nearly two decades at 7.1 percent in May as a further 227,700 people lost their job.