ABS data has revealed that three in five (61 per cent) businesses had registered or intended to register for the JobKeeper payment scheme.
“Of those businesses registered or intending to register, 73 per cent expected more than half of their employees to the eligible for the scheme,” ABS head of industry statistics John Shepherd said.
The survey also found that of the businesses that did not intend to register for the JobKeeper payment scheme, 55 per cent reported that it was because the business was not eligible.
“Less than one in 10 (7 per cent) reported not registering due to insufficient cash flow to continue paying staff before JobKeeper payments commence,” Mr Shepherd noted.
He explained that 72 per cent of businesses revealed they expect reduced cash flow to have an adverse impact on business over the next couple of months.
Furthermore, reduced demand for goods and services was expected to impact about seven in 10 businesses (69 per cent), while two in five businesses (41 per cent) expect a reduced ability to pay operating expenses.
This survey is part of a series of additional products the ABS is releasing to measure the economic impact of COVID-19. Data was collected between the 22 April and 28 April 2020.
