People queue outside of the Centrelink to apply for government subsidies in Sydney, Australia, on March 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)
In Australia, sweeping regulations to curb the spread of COVID-19 have seen hundreds of thousands of businesses forced to close their doors, both to customers and employees.
SYDNEY, April 3 (Xinhua) -- On top of the stress and anxiety of a global virus pandemic, millions of people around the world have been faced with the additional, and even more immediate concern of suddenly finding themselves without a job.
In Australia, sweeping regulations to stop the spread of the virus have seen hundreds of thousands of businesses forced to close their doors, both to customers and employees.
Last month, new restrictions forced all bars and restaurants to limit their services to takeaway, public gatherings were restricted to just two people, and residents were told to remain in their homes unless they had a valid reason for leaving, decimating foot traffic for any remaining operations.
Restaurants temporarily closed due to coronavirus lockdown in the Darling Harbour of Sydney, Australia, on March 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)
Until last month, Jasmin was a bartender in Sydney, working for a company she had been with on and off for almost 10 years -- then she was given the news that she would not be receiving any shifts for the foreseeable future.
Living with her partner in a quiet suburb of the city, the rapid progression of the virus and increasingly strict containment measures caught Jasmin and others like her by surprise, leaving no time to prepare for the sudden changes.
"I actually got a shock. In my generation nothing like this has ever happened before, so we don't expect we will need to prepare for it," she said.
"If I knew before that the business was going to close soon maybe I could have prepared and saved some money. I know it's my fault but now I don't have enough money to survive this season."
The time is hard for employers as well. Business owner Frank He told Xinhua that already he had been forced to let go several of his full-time employees and did not know what his business would look like coming out the other side.
He owns a travel agent specializing in customers from China and Southeast Asia, which meant the impact on his business hit before many others in Australia -- as early as January.
By the end of February, He said that there was simply no work for any of his drivers.
"We actually propped up longer than many ones in this industry, I laid off the first employee just two weeks ago … we do not belong to the essential industries and cannot operate, so I have to lay off the rest of them," He said.
Restaurants temporarily closed due to coronavirus lockdown in the Darling Harbour of Sydney, Australia, on March 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)
To help, the federal government announced a 130-billion-Australian dollar (80.2-billion-U.S. dollar) economic package, called the "JobKeeper" program, to assist struggling businesses in covering their workers wages.
Rather than apply for existing unemployment benefits, JobKeeper allows workers to receive fortnightly payments of 1,500 Australian dollars (909.5 U.S. dollars) through grants given to their employer, allowing for a smoother transition back to normal once the crisis has passed.
However the reality of accessing that support has proved more difficult than expected for some.
He applied for the government's subsidies, but due to the huge amount of people and businesses waiting for the relief, had to wait a long time for his application to be processed.
The delay means that employers can't guarantee that their workers will be eligible for the JobKeeper payment, adding to the sense of uncertainty and helplessness felt by many.
If not they can also apply for traditional unemployment benefits which pay a little over 1,100 Australian dollars (666.9 U.S. dollars) every two weeks, including a temporary additional COVID-19 boost to the payment.
"I hope my boss will register their business for the JobKeeper payment, but the government said that payment will be in May, so more than one month we have to survive. I wish it was quicker," Jasmin said.
What's worse is that a key characteristic of the COVID-19 crisis is that nobody knows just how long it will last -- in the meantime Aussies are finding some novel ways to keep themselves busy.
Children put toys in front of their house in Canberra, Australia, March 31, 2020. A bear hunt initiative has been shared by communities in Australia recently when teddy bears and other toys are put in windows, trees and on balconies to create some social-distancing surprise for people especially children during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Xinhua/Chu Chen)
Before COVID-19 struck, Max was working as a pharmaceutical representative, as well as doing part-time teaching, but then he found himself without a job and with much more time on his hands.
"I naively thought Australia would be insulated from the illness and didn't really expect to be out of work so quickly," he said.
Not content with sitting back and putting his feet up Max looked for ways he could get the most of his forced vacation, which he jokingly referred to as "funemployment."
"I'm lucky to live close to the beach and I enjoy spearfishing. I've been able to put food on the table, which I've caught, so that makes me still feel useful! I've also been cooking quite a lot, reading, and trying to keep fit," he said.
Others are also using the time to start a health routine, watch classic movies or make the most of being stuck at home by reconnecting with family members.
Despite temporarily having no staff, Frank He still engaged in work, improving the current travel routes, looking for new ones, and developing more online products.
"There is nothing that we cannot get through, but to recover will take time," he said.■
