Treasury has revealed while 2.1 million Australian workers have graduated from the JobKeeper wage subsidy program since the end of September, the number of businesses relying on support remains higher than hoped for.
Of all the states, Victoria remains the hardest hit by the pandemic, with 625,000 workers still relying on government support since the end of December.
Victoria saw just a 44 per cent drop in the number of businesses needing support from October, while Western Australia saw a 70 per cent drop and New South Wales saw a 60 per cent decline.
Data assessing tourism hotspots around the country also indicated Victoria continued to rely heavily on the JobKeeper program, with a 41 per cent reduction in JobKeeper payments between October and December on the Mornington Peninsula.
Other popular tourist spots, such as the Gold Coast and Cairns, saw more significant reductions in JobKeeper payments, down 59 per cent and 55 per cent respectively.
The Morrison government remains firm on the program’s March end date, however, struggling industries, such as tourism, are expected to receive targeted assistance.