The number of people collecting a pay packet across NSW has crashed by more than 7 per cent since the start of lockdowns to bring the latest coronavirus outbreak to heel.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday showed the number of people on business payrolls fell by 3.7 per cent in NSW in the fortnight to July 31.
Across the nation, there was a 2 per cent drop in payroll numbers.
The hardest-hit part of the nation has been Greater Sydney, with payroll numbers falling by almost 5 per cent in the second half of July. Since the lockdown started, payroll numbers in the region have tumbled by 9.2 per cent.
But all states and territories are being affected by both the NSW and Victorian lockdowns. The number of people on payrolls in Victoria and Queensland fell by 1.3 per cent in the fortnight to July 31 while they dropped by 2.7 per cent in South Australia.
They fell by 0.9 per cent in the ACT, by 0.6 per cent in Tasmania, by 0.2 per cent in Tasmania while they were flat in WA.
The bureau's head of labour statistics, Bjorn Jarvis, said the figures coincided with the increasing of restrictions in NSW, including the pause in construction. It also took in lockdowns in Victoria and South Australia.
Mr Jarvis said hospitality, retail and construction jobs had borne the brunt of the drop in payroll numbers.
"Payroll job losses in the accommodation and food services, retail trade and construction industries accounted for 44.3 per cent of job losses across Australia in the second half of July, and 45.4 per cent in NSW," he said.
Men in NSW have also had a larger fall in employment than women through the second half of July. But over the full lockdown period, women have suffered the biggest fall, down by 7.5 per cent compared to 6.6 per cent for women.
