A lot of Australians want to think that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, and that as we start to look at climbing back up out of and away from where things are now, everything will be better.
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While that may well prove true, the reality is we have a lot of work to do before we get anywhere near where things used to be.
There's a disturbing report released yesterday by yet another think tank that paints a picture of the grim reality facing a lot of Australians.
It says one in five Australians don't have enough work to support themselves and their families.
The Per Capita discussion paper provides a window to the economic cost of underemployment in Australia, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alarmingly, it quotes labour force data from April that points to a monthly increase of national underemployment of approximately 50 per cent - that equates to about 600,000 people.
The report states one in five Australians does not have sufficient work to support themselves and their families.
And that's before we look at tapering the support provided during these past couple of months via the JobKeeper and JobSeeker programs.
Together, these initiatives have offered more than $100 billion to workers impacted by the economic slowdown none of us could avoid.
When that support is retracted - as it inevitably has to be, we face even more challenges in how we continue to support one another.
There can be no doubt underemployment has long hindered our economy, and the youth unemployment rate is another obstacle we need to better address.
The Bendigo region is already home to one of the highest youth jobless rates in Victoria.
Recovery is not just about bricks and mortar - for some it's about being able to put food on the table and ensure there's enough money to pay for heating and electricity.
For these people, it's certainly nothing more - but we can't let it be anything less.