The number of people on NSW payrolls has fallen to its lowest level since January as the lockdown across Greater Sydney hits the job market.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday showed the number of people on NSW payrolls tumbled by 4.4 per cent in the fortnight to July 17.

There are now fewer people on NSW payrolls than in March last year, ahead of the first nationwide lockdown.

Within NSW, payrolls in Sydney took a 5 per cent hit in the fortnight while across the rest of the state the drop was 3 per cent.

The NSW lockdown has had an impact in other parts of the country. Payroll numbers in the ACT fell by 2.4 per cent in the fortnight while they dropped by 1.9 per cent in Victoria and by 1.1 per cent in Queensland.

There were falls in every state and territory, including South Australia (1.4 per cent), Western Australia (1.2 per cent), Tasmania (1.7 per cent) and the NT (1.5 per cent).

The bureau’s head of labour statistics, Bjorn Jarvis, said there may be an impact on the overall figures from school holidays as well as the lockdowns in place across the country.

“The latest fortnight of data coincided with school holidays in every state and territory, the second and third weeks of the Greater Sydney lockdown, increased COVID-19 restrictions in other parts of New South Wales and the first two days of lockdown in Victoria,” he said.

Mr Jarvis said NSW accounted for 32 per cent of all payroll jobs while Victoria accounted for another 26.2 per cent.

Women have borne the brunt of the most recent lockdown, with the number of females on payrolls dropping by 2.8 per cent in the fortnight. Amongst men, the drop was 2 per cent.

Older Australians have also fallen out of the jobs market. The largest single drop was among people aged more than 70, down by 5.3 per cent, while there was a 3.9 per cent fall among people in their late 20s.