Infometrics senior economist Brad Olsen said about 1200 more people in Dunedin were getting a support payment from the Government due to a job loss when comparing June 2020 to June 2019.
Last month, 4500 Dunedin people were getting the Jobseeker Support or Covid-19 Income Relief Payment.
"That’s up 36% when compared to June 2019."
The data highlighted the economic impact Covid-19 had in Dunedin.
It highlights a big change in how Dunedin businesses were operating, as they adapted to a changing business environment, Mr Olsen said.
"It highlights how much of a struggle it is out there."
However, there was not enough data available yet to show how widespread the impacts were across specific industries.
"It’s still early stages on how the economy is evolving through this Covid-19 pandemic. We are hearing anecdotes of a number of swift changes and we are seeing businesses in tough positions, rapidly changing their operations."
