Northern NSW job ads rise, but businesses concerned over high post-COVID unemployment

Mechanic Kevin Flew has been trying all year to fill a vacancy at his automotive workshop in northern New South Wales, but has been unable to find anyone prepared to do the job.

“The money that they are getting offered up in this area particularly isn’t what they want to be paid, so they would rather do no work or just pick up some piecemeal work in another industry,” Mr Flew said.

Mr Flew’s experience is just one piece of a complex puzzle evolving as the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic…