Business warns over jobs future

Business is concerned about the future direction of Tasmania's unemployment rate.

The rate in Tasmania has jumped from 5.3 per cent to 6.8 per cent in February, seasonally adjusted.

The more stable trend figure climbed 0.1 percentage point to 5.8 per cent.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry's senior economist, Richard Dowling, says Tasmania's unemployment rate could continue to rise.

"It's actually been some 20 months since we've had a fall in unemployment in Tasmania."

"So certainly on the evidence, there's a clear upward trend in unemployment.

"That's something we need to be concerned about. That we don't get too carried away with the economic recovery that might be occurring nationally because there are still some pockets of difficulty in the Tasmanian economy."

The Tasmanian Premier has used the latest jobless figures to argue his government has created a "tiger" economy.

The participation rate, or the proportion of the population in work or actively looking for work, has climbed to 61.6 per cent.

David Bartlett says with the job market recovering, more Tasmanians are feeling confident enough to try and find work.

The Shadow Treasurer, Peter Gutwein, says in seasonally adjusted terms the state's unemployment rate is 6.5 per cent, the highest in the country.

He says it exposes as hollow Mr Bartlett's promise to create 15,000 jobs if he is re-elected.

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Fri 12th March 2010 - 08:51am