This report compiles state government spending in support of existing businesses and community organisations in response to the COVID-19 crisis. It does not consider health spending that directly relates to treating victims of the disease, but to the immediate efforts that state governments made to protect their existing economies and communities.

In April 2020 during the last two weeks of Level 4 lockdown, Commission for Financial Capability (CFFC) surveyed 3000 people on the effects of COVID-19 on their financial wellbeing. This was part of a study being undertaken in eight countries.

The authors of this report argue that successful enterprise resilience initiatives require an approach that’s broader than traditional business continuity planning or disaster recovery, and permeates through all areas of the business across People, Processes & Operations, Technology & Cyber, Physical Assets & Facilities and Financial Resilience – underpinned by strategy and an adaptive culture.

This fact sheet highlights how social distancing and stay-at-home restrictions have resulted in disproportionate disruption to youth employment, and outlines how younger people will be more likely to face deeper impacts in their employment with consequent social impacts in years to come.

While policymakers are in the unenviable position of seemingly having to trade off between public health and children’s education, nonetheless it remains essential that they be held to account for their policy decisions. Evidence-based public policy is more important during a pandemic — not less.