Unemployment Rate Milestone

The Liberal Government’s number one priority is jobs.

The opportunity of a job provides the best prospect for Tasmanians, and our State, to achieve our full potential. The election 18 months ago was fought on the issue of jobs, and we took a Plan to the Tasmanian people focused on growing our economy and creating more jobs.

Our Plan is to back our competitive strengths, make Tasmania the most attractive business environment, and to cut red and green tape and to build confidence amongst Tasmanian businesses.
We are delivering this Plan.

On January 12, 2014, while in Opposition, we set a goal of lowering Tasmania’s unemployment rate to at least the national average in our first term.

At that time, the Tasmanian unemployment rate was 7.9 per cent, compared to a national average of 5.8 per cent – a gap of 2.1 per cent.

Yesterday’s official ABS figures show that that in just 18 months Tasmanian business and industry, alongside their employees, have achieved the milestone of reducing the state’s unemployment rate to 6.2 per cent, matching the national average for the first time since 2011.

There are 7,200 more people in work now, compared with when my Liberal Government came to office in March 2015. That is 12 more Tasmanians finding a job every day.

242,000 Tasmanians are in work, the highest level ever achieved in this state.

But there is still a lot of work to do, and we want to drive the unemployment rate as low as possible, and see even more Tasmanians in jobs.

My Government’s pledge today is the same as it was on January 12 last year, and the same as when we came to office. Jobs for Tasmanians are our number one priority.
Will Hodgman, Premier