Media Release Thursday, 8th April 2010
Labour market solid but needs watching
Unions Tasmania believes that the ABS Labour Market figures released today show a solid market
that has not yet fully recovered from the economic downturn.
While the figures show Tasmania is returning to a near record number of jobs it is evident that there
is still a significant switch between full and part time work which may indicate people are not
getting the number of hours work they need to support their households.
There is also a growth in unemployment as participation increases but it is a concern that there may
be mismatches between vacancies and available skills.
These figures show vigilance is required.
Unions Tasmania Secretary, Simon Cocker said:
“It is good to see the participation rate for female workers continuing to grow but this is being
offset by falling numbers of male workers as redundancies and retirements take their toll.”
“We are also concerned that the growth in part-time work may indicate some families are doing it
tough and not getting the hours they need to support their households.”
“The growth in unemployment highlights again the need for a skills strategy in Tasmania to ensure
appropriate and proper training for the workforce.”
“Our economy hasn’t fully recovered from the impacts of the global financial crisis and as Australia
has recovered quicker than our trading partners the export climate may be difficult, putting more
pressure on jobs.”
“Employment figures must continue to be watched carefully to ensure government policy is in the
interests of working Tasmanians,” said Mr Cocker.
Unions Tasmania
Tasmanian Branch of the ACTU
Simon Cocker, Unions Tasmania
