On a day when both state and federal treasurers outlined the daunting scale of the economic challenges facing the country, there were better tidings locally from the latest job figures.
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Data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Thursday showed a bounce-back in Ballarat of 5,100 more people in work in June than in the previous month.
Figures for May had shown 5,700 fewer jobs in the area than the previous month.
In May, the number of people shown to be in employment in the Ballarat region was registered as 76,400 people, while June's total was shown as 81,500.
The recent data set also indicated a lower unemployment rate than previously registered - at 6.1 per cent compared to 7 per cent - which remains above the average for the state outside of metropolitan Melbourne
There were also slight gains in the rest of Victoria as a whole, with a total of 724,600 people registered in employment - although the unemployment rate moved up a notch to 4.9 per cent.
In May, the number of people shown in employment in the Ballarat region was registered as 76,400 people, while June's total was 81,500.
The latest figures - as with those from the previous month - come with significant caveats. On a statistical level, the ABS warns of a greater margin for error in the regions due to the way it samples. There can be large fluctuations from month to month within that margin, it says - and suggests a clearer picture can be gained through studying the 12-month average.
However, even those annual average figures are unlikely to reflect the enormous shifts in both the economy and the jobs market in the past four months. According to the 12-monthly average, for example, the number of people shown working in the Ballarat region in June is shown as being at an all-time high at 81,000. It is an unlikely scenario given the widespread closures affecting the tourism and hospitality sectors in particular.
Another obvious caveat is that the figures deal with a time before the second Stage 3 lockdown was enforced in Melbourne from July 7.
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In other regional towns, the employment data showed less dramatic fluctuations than it did for Ballarat.
Both Geelong and Bendigo showed minimal change from the previous month's figures, with the unemployment rate standing at 4.5 per cent and 7.3 per cent respectively.
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However, with further uncertainty about the state government's capacity to control COVID-19 infections, and numbers increasing in the regions - albeit at a much slower rate than in metropolitan Melbourne - employment figures are likely to be uncertain for some time.
The Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas also warned on Thursday that unemployment was yet to hit its peak.
COVID-19: A timeline of economic damage in Ballarat
This is the first sign of the troubles that await, as Sara Quon, the CEO of Sovereign Hill makes a candid statement about the impact the ban on incoming Chinese tourists is having on Ballarat's main attraction.
February 25:Coronavirus toll starts to rise in Victoria
The virus suddenly begins to seem a little closer to home, with cases rising to seven in the state. But reports of the lockdown in China and the impact on Italy still seem like distant troubles.
This for many was a defining moment in the way COVID-19 was seen in the country, with an elderly Perth man becoming the first person in Australia to die from the virus. At this point supermarket workers begin to see more panic buying and more empty shelves as Australian supply chains are put under unprecedented pressure.
The Victorian premier puts the state on an emergency footing, suggesting that shops and schools will inevitably close and people will be asked to do things they have never been asked to do before.
Taking a decision in front of many other local government authorities, the City of Ballarat announces a swift shutdown of many of its buildings, from the town hall to the Aquatic Centre.
March 21: Sovereign Hill closes its gates
Seen by many as a "tipping point" in the economic crisis gripping the city, the closure of Sovereign Hill is a devastating announcement for the tourism industry, the city - and the many people who work there.
March 25: Council casual staff go
As many as 200 casual staff working at the City of Ballarat will be paid for two weeks then let go.
March 27:Myer closes
Another iconic closure in the city, the Sturt Street store is a major retail landmark.
A bitter irony as new figures show just how well Ballarat was faring as a tourist destination before COVID-19 struck.
The City of Ballarat is vying for federal funding for major road-building projects - including stage two of the Link Road - to help kickstart a local economy under huge strain due to COVID-19.
Help for some of Ballarat's biggest tourist attractions is on the way after the federal government announced funding to assist zoos and aquariums across the country.
Hospitality sector calls for JobKeeper eligibility review to help businesses recover.
Victoria edges closer towards a gradual exit from coronavirus lockdown, and attention turns to exactly how Ballarat will begin to reopen.
June 1: Restrictions eased
More facilities and businesses will be allowed to reopen from Monday, June 1, as restrictions to protect people from the coronavirus continue to ease. Up to 20 people at a time can gather at a private household, and in public, indoors and outdoors.
June 21: Restrictions reimposed
In another devastating move for the city's hospitality industry, restrictions are tighter as community transmission of COVID-19 in the state begins to spike in a concerning way.
Restaurants, pubs, auction halls, community halls, libraries, museums and places of worship that had been set to welcome up to 50 patrons now have to stay at a maximum of 20 people until July 12.
July 7: Lockdown in Melbourne
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