Queensland has the highest September unemployment rate in the country with 7.7 per cent to the nation’s 6.9 per cent average, according to job figures released yesterday.  

Labor says the high statistic is because the data does not reflect the thousands of Queenslanders on JobKeeper payments. 

The Queensland University of Technology has begun to issue redundancies 
in an effort to save $38 million by the end of next year as part of its COVID-19 recovery plan.

One hundred and seventy four positions will be made redundant with the majority affecting professional services and support staff, however one hundred and two new jobs will be created.

Vice-chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil issued a four-stage plan in a briefing earlier this week, notifying staff of the impending job cuts.
 

Mining company Anglo American has confirmed it will cut 100 jobs from its Grosvenor coal mine in central Queensland, with sacked mineworkers under casual employment potentially facing termination without redundancy packages.

Stephen Smyth of CMFEU’s mining branch said the union would consult with labour hire company One Key Resources and Anglo American next week.

The state health department confirms Victoria has recorded six new Coronavirus cases and zero deaths. 

The figures bring Melbourne’s rolling 14-day average of daily cases down to 8.9, with regional Victoria sitting at 0.6. 

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews’ Nobel Park electorate office has been vandalised overnight.

Vandals have targeted the office, spray painting the words ‘sack Dan’ across the front and throwing bricks at the glass windows.

Andrews is to announce updates to Melbourne’s strict Coronavirus restrictions this coming Sunday.

France has introduced tougher coronavirus regulations across the country, including a curfew on its capital Paris and eight other cities.

President Emmanuel Macron informed reporters that the 9pm to 6am shutdown will be in place for up to six weeks from Saturday.

Earlier this week, France’s government had stated it would extend the nation’s state of health emergency. 
 

Mining giant BHP has confirmed that its Chinese customers have deferred their coal orders for the time being.

The statement comes as commodity analyst S&P Global Platts reported Chinese steel producers and Chinese power firms were ordered to stop importing Australian coal.