AROUND 500 people became unemployed in the north last month, as the region’s unemployment figures once again climbed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released its detailed labour force figures for May last Thursday, which revealed the Adelaide north region – including Gawler, Elizabeth, Two Wells and Mallala – still had the highest unemployment rate in the state.

The figures showed the north’s unemployment rate is now 8.4 per cent, up .2 points from the previous month.

It is the highest recorded local unemployment rate since January 2017, when the figure reached 8.5 per cent.

Women bore the brunt of May’s job losses, with female unemployment rising .3 of a per cent to 7.4 per cent, while the male rate jumped from 9.2 per cent to 9.3 per cent.

A fortnight ago, the ABS revealed the state’s unemployment rate had jumped from 7.2 per cent to 7.9 per cent – an increase in-line with the national rate.

Innovation and skills minister David Pisoni said businesses are doing it tough during the COVID-19 pandemic “through no fault of their own”.

“This is the greatest economic challenge of our time, which is why the Marshall Liberal Government is responding swiftly and decisively to ensure as many businesses and jobs as possible make it through to the other side,” he said.

“We know that businesses in SA are continuing to do it tough, through no fault of their own, and we must continue to do everything possible to ensure we get through to the other side.”

In the Barossa, Yorke and Mid-North area, the unemployment rate remained steady at 6.7 per cent.