Despite the rapid rate of the Omicron spread, the Australian economy will not suffer as hard compared to the period of Delta lockdowns, an economist said. Deloitte Access Economics partner Chris Richardson said for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started, it looked like health and economic outcomes “won’t be in exact lock-step with each other.” “In turn, outcomes are looking pretty good for jobs and unemployment,” Richardson told The Australian. “We remain of the view that even with the Omicron wave, the damage to federal and state budgets in 2021-22 is less than official estimates.” Deloitte’s latest Business Outlook report said the combination of high vaccination rates and high levels of savings meant resilience and recovery. “Few things have generated much joy during the COVID era, but Australia’s job performance is one of them,” Richardson said. “COVID permitting, we see the unemployment rate flirting with 4 percent by …