Prime Minister Scott Morrison is itching to unlock interstate travel as new figures show border closures are costing nearly 5000 jobs a week and $84 million a day.
Highlights:
*Unemployment rate jumped to 7.1 per cent
*Another 227,000 people lost their jobs
*Universities to fly in 350 students in July
The latest jobless figures are the worst since October 2001.
The prime minister describes the unemployment rate as heartbreaking and warns there is a long way to go as the country recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.
"The sad truth is these numbers are not surprising in the circumstances. We are very aware of the significant blow that Australians are being hit with during the course of the pandemic. This recession will be written in the stories of those who are experiencing terrible hardship."
The new figures come as the government says it's open to flying in hundreds of foreign university students next month but warns other international travellers would not be visiting any time soon.
The University of Canberra and the Australian National University will fly in 350 students in July as part of a pilot program backed by the ACT and federal governments.
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