ABS Job Figures

Today’s job figures show the gap between Tasmania’s unemployment rate and the national rate is at its lowest point in almost three years.

They also highlight why our long-term plan to grow the economy and create jobs is so important.

Tasmania’s unemployment rate has dropped 0.3 per cent since the March election to be 7.2 per cent in September 2014.

One-thousand nine-hundred jobs have been created in that same time and the participation rate has increased by 0.2 per cent to 60.7 per cent.

Since the election, building activity is up, retail sales have increased and our economy is growing faster than a number of mainland states.

Underpinning this, business confidence is the highest it’s been in years and while today’s employment figures show there is a lot of work to be done, our long-term plan is working and we are heading in the right direction.

We have a plan to bring Tasmania’s unemployment rate in line with the national rate by the end of our first term of Government and we are getting on with the job of growing the economy to create jobs.

*It should be noted that the ABS figures for the past three months have been revised due to an overstated seasonal impact and today’s figures reflect that change.
Peter Gutwein, Treasurer