The Victorian government is urging businesses to throw lifelines to workers who have recently lost their jobs due to the coronavirus crisis.
Almost 1,300 people have found employment through part of the state government's $1.7 billion economic survival package.
The coronavirus has thrown small businesses into crisis, with many owners sending workers home as customers vanish.Jobs include 450 roles linked to the quarantine program for returning travellers, more than 60 people preparing care packages at FoodBank, and others working in government call centres. More than 2,500 people are expected to have landed jobs through the program by the end of next week, but in excess of 50,000 individuals have registered for it."There are lots of individuals who have registered but we really want businesses to sign up," Jobs Minister Martin Pakula told reporters on Wednesday."We're asking businesses to think laterally.
The state government has so far refunded $384 million in payroll tax to about 17,000 businesses under its coronavirus measures, and will have paid $50 million in grants to 5000 businesses by Wednesday. We are facing an unprecedented challenge – and what we do over the coming weeks and months will be critical.And that’s exactly what these new arrangements provide.
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