Australia’s Unemployment Rate Dropped to Decade Low, But Challenges Ahead With Lockdowns

Shops on Sydney Road in Brunswick display signs informing customers of their closure in Melbourne, Australia on Aug. 5, 2020. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

The prolonged lockdown in Sydney, together with the fifth lockdown in Melbourne, has cast a shadow over the resilience of Australia’s economic recovery despite the Australian unemployment rate dropping to 4.9 percent in June, its lowest level since Dec 2010.

According to ABS data released on July 15, the decline in the rate from 5.1 percent in May came as the number of unemployed fell by 22,000, down to 679,000.