Tasmania’s youth unemployment rate is at an alarming level and is the highest it’s been in six years.
With 8,100 young Tasmanians between the ages of 15 and 24 officially unemployed, this raises grave concerns about their future prospects as Tasmania’s economic recovery falters.
Shadow Treasurer David O’Byrne said Tasmania’s overall unemployment rate has improved slightly and is down to 7.9%.
“But this is still the worst in the country and youth unemployment at 18.7% is unfortunately streets ahead of the national average,” Mr O’Byrne said.
“The reality of these figures is that one in five young Tasmanians is unemployed.
“This is a damning indictment of the complacent attitude the Premier and Treasurer Peter Gutwein has shown towards Tasmania’s jobs crisis and we cannot sit by and see a generation of young people relegated to unemployment by the inaction of his Government.
“This also carries the risk of an exodus of young people from Tasmania as they’re forced to look outside the state for work.
“Despite some jobs being added this month all the gains have been in part-time work with 600 fulltime jobs lost in the month. With under-employment at more than 10 percent there are thousands of Tasmanians wanting and needing to work more hours.
“It really is time for the Gutwein Government to start taking the unemployment crisis in our state seriously.
“They act as if it’s plain sailing for our state’s economic recovery but this simply is not true.
“Only Labor’s jobs plan offers the economy-wide recovery Tasmania needs.”
David O’Byrne MP
Shadow Treasurer
