Tasmania’s unemployment remains low at 3.8% based on the April figures according to new data released today. The government says this vindicates their economic management.
The dark side of the figures is that Tasmania still has the worst participation rate in the nation as well as the highest rate of underemployment. Labor interprets the figures as demonstrating that working age Tasmanians are leaving the state for better opportunities elsewhere.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry believed the government needs to take the participation issue seriously and address barriers to employment such as transport, literacy, skills and childcare.
Their statements are reproduced below.
Media release – Jeremy Rockliff, Premier & Guy Barnett, Treasurer, 15 May 2025
How low can it go? Tasmanian unemployment rate drops further
The latest labour market data released by the ABS shows Tasmania breaking more records, posting an all-time low unemployment rate of 3.8 per cent in April 2025.
This welcome news comes off the back of the latest NAB April Monthly Business Survey which showed Tasmania was ranked first in business confidence and conditions.
“Tasmania continues to go from strength to strength,” the Premier said.
“We are a diverse economy that is powered by more than 42,000 small businesses.
“They are employing, they are confident, and the conditions are right for them to succeed – the data is backing this in.
“We are slashing red tape, working hand in glove with our business community and it’s showing positive signs with this latest record low unemployment rate.”
Treasurer, Guy Barnett, welcomed today’s news, saying it added to other recent positive data.
“Tasmania is continuing to break records, the most recent posted by our surging retail sector which hit an all time high of $743.6 million in March 2025,” the Treasurer said.
“The NAB April Monthly Business Survey showed Tasmania is leading the nation in business confidence and business conditions – this is no accident.
“Our economy is now worth a record $40.6 billion, an increase of $8.5 billion or a massive 26.3 per cent, since we came to Government.
“As Australia and the world weather economic headwinds, Tasmania continues to show our trademark resilience.
“This unemployment rate will have Labor trying to spin their way out of this after their 2013 recession nearly peaked at an 8 per cent unemployment rate.
“We’re working hard to make Tasmania the best place to live, work and raise a family and it’s paying off.”
Media release – Josh Willie MP, Shadow Treasurer, 15 May 2025
Rockliff’s job failures costing Tasmania billions
The latest ABS labour force data reaffirms that the Rockliff Minority Government is bad for jobs, and bad for the economy. Since Premier Rockliff took his government into minority, nearly 7,000 full-time jobs have been lost.
Tasmania’s workforce participation and underemployment levels are a massive handbrake on the state’s economy. Under the Liberals, Tasmania continues to have the weakest participation rate in the nation, 6.7 percentage points below the national average. Underemployment is also the worst in the country, a full percentage point clear of the second worst at 7.4 per cent.
According to research from the TCCI, if Tasmania’s participation rate was at the national average, over 11,000 jobs would be created, households would be $1,500 better off and the State’s economy would be boosted by over $3.7 billion annually.
Labor’s priority is making sure Tasmanians can find work in well-paid, safe, and secure jobs. Boosting workforce participation, getting people into good jobs, is one of the keys to getting our economy back on track.
Working age Tasmanians are leaving our state in search of better opportunities elsewhere. The Government needs to provide better work and study opportunities here in Tasmania and remove barriers to entering the workforce like access to childcare services.
If the Liberals had done more to address these issues in the past 11 years, maybe the Premier wouldn’t be trying to sell off Tasmania’s assets to prop up his busted budget today.
Media release – Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 15 May 2025
Tasmania’s participation rate still lagging
The TCCI is calling on the Government to take the state’s flatlining participation rate seriously.
TCCI CEO, Michael Bailey, said the ABS figures released today show that Tasmania has the worst participation rate in the country and highlight the size of the challenge.
Tasmania’s participation rate in April this year was 60.3 per cent, while the national rate was 67 per cent. Tasmania’s participation rate has dropped by 2.2 percentage points since April 2023.
“While our unemployment rate remains steady, the TCCI regards the participation rate as the real measure of how well Tasmania is doing and at nearly seven percentage points below the national average there is clearly a lot of work to do,” Mr Bailey said.
“If our participation rate was at the national average, over a ten-year period over 11,000 jobs would be created, households would be $1,500 better off and the state’s economy would be boosted by $3.7 billion.
“The TCCI wants to work with the Tasmanian Government to make boosting participation a key focus for the upcoming state budget and beyond by tackling barriers like transport, literacy, skills and childcare.
“There are no quick fixes. It’s a long-term issue, but the best place to start is with a clear plan and the resources needed to tackle the issue and make it a priority.”
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