Maitland, Belmont and Singleton are now among the country’s most disadvantaged thanks to COVID-19.
The regional areas were pinpointed in an updated Employment Vulnerability Index (EVI) 3.0 report, created by researchers at the University of Newcastle and Griffith University in Queensland.
The report maps Australian suburbs that are susceptible to economic and social disadvantage due to COVID-19 job losses.
The EVI 3.0 uses Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census data to calculate an index score for towns and cities with a population of 10,000 people or more.
The results are a combination of previous EVI data and insights on the jobs most affected by an economic downtown to model COVID-19’s effect on more than 80% of Australians.
The two groups at risk of job losses were identified as those from historically disadvantaged areas and am emerging group that have not suffered historical disadvantage, but are likely to experience social and economic pain.
The Hunter Region was represented within both categories.
Muswellbrook, Cessnock, Kurri Kurri, Raymond Terrace, Mount Hutton, Windale, Beresfield, Hexham, Shortland and Jesmond were listed in the Hunter’s existing disadvantage job loss localities.
Maitland – West, Belmont South – Blacksmiths and Singleton were identified as being emerging disadvantage job loss localities.
Co-author Bill Mitchell, from the University of Newcastle, said 108 locations across Australia were identified as areas of emerging disadvantage, while 97 locations had an existing disadvantage.
“Regional areas will be hardest hit,” he said.
“Of the 108 areas of emerging disadvantage, 69 fall in non-metropolitan regions compared to 39 in metropolitan areas.
“For disadvantaged suburbs in smaller non-metropolitan regions where the spectre of job loss is more widespread across entire towns or regions, any rise in employment disadvantage is likely to see more significant impacts.”
Professor Mitchell warns the timing of government support after the crisis will be vital in securing positive outcomes.
“There is a real danger that the government will retract its support mechanisms too soon,” he said.
“This is something we have seen before.
“Ultimately how these suburbs and localities fare will depend on the impact of the Federal Government’s economic rescue package and the depth of the economic downturn.
“Outcomes may not be as bad as some have predicted.”
