Redlands and Logan suburbs have been named as the most vulnerable for job losses as the economic downturn from the COVID-19 bites south-east Queensland.
The Redlands islands, Logan Central and Woodridge are on the most vulnerable list, the result of research conducted by Griffith University and the University of Newcastle.
Researchers used census data to determine which areas with more than 10,000 people would be most affected by the economic downturn.
Redlands Islands are at the top of the employment vulnerability index, with Woodridge in fifth and Logan Central sixth.
Researchers considered education levels, vulnerable industries and how many residents were employed part-time, in the study which took about a fortnight to complete.
"All the areas had characteristics which suggested that employed people in the area were at a greater risk of losing their jobs, compared to other areas," Professor Scott Baum, from Griffith University, said.
Professor Baum undertook the research with Emeritus Professor William Mitchell from the University of Newcastle.
"The suburbs are vulnerable to seeing significant job losses because of the types of jobs that residents have," Professor Baum said.
He said the results were not a surprise for researchers undertaking the study.
"Many of the suburbs we identified were not unexpected, especially given what we already know about their socio-economic and employment characteristics," Professor Baum said.
Some of the areas on the list could suffer for years.
"The challenges may include household and community burdens associated with increasing localised financial hardship, or increases in a range of social problems seen in places that have been disadvantaged over a longer term," Professor Baum said.
"How deep and long these potential impacts will be is a matter of wait and see.
"I think the issue for these suburbs is going to be what happens when the government removes its support.
"Scott Morrison has already said that the measures are temporary. We can't expect that there will be an instant snap back and the most disadvantaged places will be slower to emerge.
"Any policy to address this will have to focus on specific places and address their particular needs."
It is the third edition of the study, with previous research undertaken in 2006 and 2011. The 10 most vulnerable suburbs are Redland Islands, upper Caboolture, south Caboolture, Bribie Island, Woodridge, Logan Central, Eagleby, Beenleigh, Inala-Richlands and Sunnybank.
Read more local news here
