TASMANIA has been losing 22 jobs a day for six months, on average.
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Total employment has fallen by 4000 since September to 237,200, with 400 jobs vanishing in March alone.
Comparing March to September, Australian Bureau of Statistics trend terms figures showed, 2800 less men and 1200 less women were employed in Tasmania.
There were 1800 less full-time jobs.
The number of officially unemployed Tasmanians increased by 200 to 17,500 in March.
That total was as low as 16,400 in September.
Tasmanian Greens Leader Cassy O’Connor said the Hodgman government’s promised brighter future was a mirage for the 4000 Tasmanians who had lost jobs since September.
’’It is statistically evident that job growth began in November 2013, well before the Hodgman Liberals took office,’’ Ms O’Connor said.
‘’By December 2014, job growth had plateaued.
‘’The bottom line is that under a Liberal government a strong trend in job growth under the Labor-Green government was quickly stifled in nine months, flat-lined for a year, and then began a six-month decline.’’
Labor Shadow Treasurer Scott Bacon said: “(Treasurer) Peter Gutwein and Will Hodgman can continue to pretend everything is rosy, but the figures tell the real story and that is Tasmanians continue to be forced onto the unemployment queue because the government has stalled on job creation and job creating projects.’’
‘’This government needs to step up and show some leadership around job creation, considering the thousands of Tasmanians who have lost their jobs since the Liberals took office.’’
Mr Gutwein said: ‘’Today’s employment statistics indicate there is still much to do and that’s exactly why the government is rolling out a $315 million job creation package and the $1.8 billion infrastructure spend announced in the budget,’’ he said.
The unemployment rate climbed by 0.1 per cent to 6.9 per cent in March.