Data released by the ABS today shows Tasmania is struggling to recover from COVID-related job losses and wages decline.
Shadow Treasurer David O'Byrne said the figures, which show a 5.8% drop in jobs since mid-March raise concerns about the government's ability to bring the state out the pandemic induced slump.
"Not only is Tasmania the second-worst affected state for job losses behind locked-down Victoria, but total wages are down 5.9% which is again the second-worst result in the country.
"While the data shows Tasmania is slowly starting to recover from the hardest hit months, it proves that the state is clearly struggling to recover and more work needs to be done.
"Cuts to JobKeeper in September will likely make the relative wage decline worse, and businesses will struggle to keep workers on their books, resulting in further job losses.
"Tasmania needs a clear jobs plan to rebuild after the pandemic. The government is pinning its hopes on a short-term plan, with a narrow focus on infrastructure, even though they have a track record of being unable to deliver major infrastructure projects.
"Labor's COVID-19 Recovery Package which formed the basis of Labor's submission to the Premier's Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council outlines clear plans to get Tasmanians into jobs, including free TAFE courses to retrain workers pushed out of their positions.
"Tasmania needs action now, and with a lack of plan the situation is only going to get worse before it gets better. The government needs to act, and it needs to act fast to protect Tasmanian jobs."
David O'Byrne
Shadow Treasurer
