CANBERRA, AAP – The federal treasurer remains confident a surge in Omicron cases across the country won’t derail Australia’s economic rebound, following last year’s COVID-19 lockdowns.

It comes as new figures released by the tax office showed 485,000 jobs were created across the nation since September.

Josh Frydenberg said the county had experienced a jobs boom in recent months.

“Small businesses across the country who did it so tough early on (in the pandemic)… are now coming (back) better,” Mr Frydenberg told Sky News on Monday.

“We’re starting to see these jobs coming back and it’s looking very promising for the Australian economy.”

 

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The Australian Taxation Office data on Monday comes after the unemployment rate recently fell to 4.6 per cent, which was a 13-year low.

Job advertisements are also at a 13-year high, with more than 250,000 jobs available.

The ATO data takes in the period following the lifting of Delta variant driven lockdowns in NSW, Victoria and the ACT.

COVID-19 restrictions across the country eased after the lockdowns ended, but infection case numbers have surged in recent weeks due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

But despite the rise in infections, Mr Frydenberg said the economic recovery was still on track.

Responding to calls by leading economists for a more aggressive approach to migration to help fill job vacancies following the pandemic, the treasurer said it would be done in a measured way.

“We’ll continue to have a balanced, considered approach to migration,” Mr Frydenberg said.

“We did see throughout the pandemic last year and the year before that, population growth (was at) … the lowest level in more than a century.

“This is going to be one of the more permanent impacts of COVID on migration.”

Skilled workers, visa holders and international students have been able to return to Australia without the need for a travel exemption since mid-December.