New England: Department of Social Services report show less people on JobSeeker

Figures released by the Department of Social Services report show 117 people have dropped off the benefit scheme from May to June.

This heralds a positive trend according to Business NSW regional manager Joe Townsend, who says the report reflects the sentiment on the ground.

Businesses are having better luck filling positions as applicant numbers increase, something which Mr Townsend attributes to recipients realising the payments change in September.

It comes as Tamworth Business Chamber president Jye Segboer echoed sentiments aired earlier this week by Teys, saying JobSeeker benefits were "too generous".

"If you look at manufacturing and industries like Teys ... an organisation with 60 empty jobs that can't get people to come to work," Mr Segboer noted.

"Yet we are sitting here in our region at nine per cent unemployment so why can't we get people to go and take those jobs?

"The only answer you can relatively come up with is because JobSeeker is too generous or people are fearful to go out of their home because of COVID-19, those are the only logical conclusions you can come to."

But the meat works company is not alone, with Mr Townsend saying businesses from a wide variety of sectors were finding it hard to fill jobs.

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"We've seen anecdotally that they've struggled to see the jobs they have filled because of JobSeeker," Mr Townsend said.

"It was definitely the sentiment that individuals didn't want to return to work."

Tamworth Local Government area had 3643 people receiving JobSeeker benefits in June. Gunnedah Shire stayed in the hundreds, clicking over 694, with 520 in the Liverpool Plains Shire.

Moree stayed just under the thousand tally by 52 people but both Armidale and Inverell cracked that mark; the Sapphire City registering 1097 with Armidale at 1904.