The Hunter's youth unemployment rate remains significantly higher than the state average, and young Australians are bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABS figures for December 2020 show the youth unemployment rate in the Hunter was 17.4 per cent, compared with the state average of 11.9 per cent.
The rate, a three-month moving average to account for monthly anomalies, was even higher in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie at 19.2 per cent.
Hunter Research Foundation Centre lead economist Dr Anthea Bill said it was worrying that the Hunter figures for 15- to 24-year-olds remained so high leading into 2021.
"In terms of trends, we were right up in October last year at 22 per cent. It was a shocker. This spike is historically very high," Dr Bill said.
The Hunter entered the pandemic with a youth unemployment rate of 9 per cent, below the state rate of 11.4 per cent.
"Even though the state rate has moved up and down a little, the Hunter just kept rising, and it didn't have that recovery," she said.
Hunter Business Chamber chief executive officer Bob Hawes said the areas hardest hit by COVID-19 were the ones which traditionally employed younger people, such as hospitality, accommodation, recreation and the arts.
"There has also been what you'd call last on, first off, where often the younger people who are the more recently employed suffer the consequences when businesses have to downsize," he said.
Mr Hawes said he was confident the Hunter was moving in the right direction and the youth jobless rate would slowly come back down.
Committee for the Hunter chief executive officer Alice Thompson said her organisation was committed to supporting young people across the Hunter.
The committee is calling for young people to apply to join its new youth committee, dedicated to tackling issues facing young Australians.
Ms Thompson believes young people are the region's most important asset now and into the future.
"It's a long road to recovery for COVID-19, but that's where I see the strength of the youth committee," she said.
The Federal Government announced on Tuesday the permanent JobSeeker payment would be increased by $50 per fortnight from April 1.
But this increase will be after the temporary $150 coronavirus supplement is cut completely from March 31.
Founder of a Cardiff charity Maria Martin, which provides help to people who are unemployed, homeless or escaping domestic violence, told the Newcastle Herald on Wednesday an extra $25 a week for welfare recipients is "just not enough".
Ms Martin said her organisation, Survivor's R Us, had experienced a surge in demand after each cut to support payments throughout the pandemic.
"I don't think the government realises how tough people are doing it," she said.
