Covid-19 and drought spell tough times fro Hawke's Bay
Hawke's Bay is struggling with the double whammy of severe drought and Covid-19.
Currently, 2,200 more people have lost their jobs compared to last year and 67 per cent of work ready job seekers were Māori and Pasifika.
A Regional Economic Recovery report presented to the Regional Council’s corporate and strategic committee by Sarah Tully presents a grim picture.
Tully said throughout the Covid-19 response, $330m had been paid in wage subsidies across the region, with 52 per cent of jobs covered in the first payment and 10 per cent in the extension.
With booster funding from central government, council supported 728 local businesses with $1.5 million of assistance under the Regional Business Partners programme.
Tully said like the rest of New Zealand, the Hawke’s Bay economy was forecast to decline further, impacted by reduced visitor numbers and rising unemployment levels.
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