Close to 600,000 people lost their jobs in Australia in April, causing the unemployment rate to rise to 6.2 per cent.
That is the highest jobless rate, since 2015.
The Federal government's JobKeeper scheme has kept many off the unemployment line and the government is toeing the positive line that once industry resumes in full, those numbers will subside.
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Time will tell. However if you do find your career on hold, it may be worth looking at alternative methods of income generation.
What you choose should suit your lifestyle, income goals, passions, enjoyment levels and life or business plans.
The following are some quirky and not so quirky jobs you might do and ways to earn extra income:
1. Paid surveys
It is unlikely you'll make serious money doing this, but it can be a great way to earn extra cash without having to use much brain power, manpower or time.
Expect to earn no more than $100 for a decent survey, more likely around the $25-$50 mark, but it's cash you didn't have previously and it all adds up.
If it's cash you need make sure you choose the right survey company to hook up with as some may offer non-cash rewards including vouchers and gift cards.
Sites to consider include:
2. Become an influencer
You may have seen that add with Mel Watts, the influencer spruiking Vanish laundry detergent. Now, not every influencer can make it into a national ad campaign, but it's worth considering infiltrating the influencer industry.
Influencing is a huge. From kids unwrapping toys on YouTube to Kylie Jenner spruiking fashion labels. Mediakix expects influencer marketing to grow to become a $5 - $10 billion market by 2020.
Instagram is a great place to start. You'll need to build a decent following, or have one already, and you'll need to pick an industry to concentrate on, but it's worth considering if you feel you have what it takes to influence brand or product acceptance
3. Join Fiverr as a service provider
Fiverr is service provision marketplace. It isn't for everyone, as someone may list the same service you're offering for $5 when you want to charge $100. However there is the ability to upsell customers and those same customers do stay loyal over the long-term.
If you have a particular technical skill, it is worth checking Fiverr out to earn some extra cash or try to make this a sole income stream.
4. eBay seller
You'll need to come up with a pretty decent product (jewellery, imported salt, game parts etc... ) and price point, but there is money to be made by selling your wares on eBay.
There are two paths to take: be an individual "hobbyist" seller or open up an eBay Store as a professional seller.
There are three paid subscription tiers to choose from if you decide to become a professional seller: Basic, Featured and Anchor each with their own subscription price points.
There are further fees to be incurred, so you'll have to weigh up its worth to you.
However, some people claim to have made $700 per week, others to have made $10,000 per month, so there's money to be made if you put the time and effort in.
Just make sure you follow all the guidelines set out by eBay to give you the best chance of success.
5. Virtual assistant
You are a real, living breathing, human being right? Of course you are, but you can still be a virtual assistant.
Duties include responding to emails, managing social media or answering online inquiries.
Find an entrepreneur or organisation that has that requirement. You, should be able to find them on websites like Freelancer.com and Upwork.com.
The pay varies, bit it makes for an excellent stay-at-home job that you may even be able to do during lockdown and beyond.
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