The Minority Hodgman Liberal Government has failed yet again to address Tasmania's growing jobs emergency with today's unemployment rate increasing to 6.7 per cent - again the worst in the country.
Shadow Minister for Economic Development and Jobs Michelle O'Byrne said today's new data showed the Hodgman Government was now responsible for the loss of 6,000 full time jobs since it was elected 16 months ago, including 300 full time jobs last month.
"The unemployment rate has increased to 6.7 per cent - the worst in the country - from 6 per cent at the time of the election, despite favourable global and domestic economic conditions and despite Treasurer Gutwein's boasts about the Tasmanian economy," Ms O'Byrne said.
"Tasmania's participation rate is down to 60.2 per cent, compared to the national figure of 66 per cent and, very worryingly, youth unemployment remains extremely high at 13.5 per cent
"The unemployment rate for women remains the highest in the country at 7.1 per cent.
"This is a government that went to an election with 157,200 Tasmanians in full time work and today that number is 151,200.
"This is a government which told Tasmanians they were in a golden age but it has never been clearer that has been squandered.
"This is a government that has bragged about the number of jobs it has created but today's figures show the number of Tasmanians with full time jobs is now less than when the Liberals first came to power.
"This is a government which knows Tasmanian jobs are in freefall but has done nothing to address this emergency."
Michelle O'Byrne MP
Shadow Minister for Economic Development, Jobs and ICT
