Prior to the pandemic, jobs in construction accounted for 9% of all jobs in Victoria, making it the State’s fourth-largest employer.

The construction industry held up comparatively well during the first lockdown, with jobs down 4.5%.

Unfortunately, this time around, it’s a different story. During Victoria’s Stage 4 restrictions, jobs in construction are down 9.9%, which is 2.2% higher than the State average.

This data comes from consulting firm Taylor Fry, which says that the trend is likely to worsen, as the data doesn’t fully cover the Stage 4 period.

The CEO of Master Builders Association of Victoria, Rebecca Casson, said that the restrictions implemented in Stage 4 have already resulted in widespread job losses about the sector.

The silver lining for those tradies currently out of work is the HomeBuilder grant. Ms Casson said HomeBuilder and similar programs would be needed “right through the recovery, which is likely to extend to years rather than months”.