Australian Bureau of Statistics figures put Tasmania's unemployment rate at ?jl8.4 per cent against a national average of 5.7 per cent.

It's the worst result since April 2003, meaning 21,100 Tasmanians seeking work are without a job, up 600 on last month and 8100 on July last year.

TCCI chief executive Michael Bailey said unemployment was the best measure of the economy, ``which without a doubt it brings home how difficult the challenge is''.

``They're significant figures and no one is saying otherwise, but by working together as business, as government, as a community - and not in isolation - we can turn it around.''

While Mr Bailey said he was encouraged by the ideas from Wednesday's jobs forum, opposition treasury spokesman Peter Gutwein said ``Tasmania's jobs crisis is rapidly turning into a jobs catastrophe''.

Mr Gutwein targeted Premier Lara Giddings's leadership, saying ``since Lara Giddings became Premier, nearly 10,000 full-time jobs have disappeared and the number of unemployed Tasmanians has increased by a staggering 50 per cent''.

The result confirms Tasmania as Australia's worst performing jobs market, 2 per cent worse than the next poorest performer, South Australia with ?jl6.4 per cent.

Ms Giddings said it was ``really disappointing'' to see the rate rise, but dismissed suggestions the rate could rise further.

``I'm not in the business of predictions and I`m certainly not in the business of talking down this state,'' Ms Giddings said.

``We have committed to a number of short-term actions to address issues which were identified at yesterday's [Wednesday's] meeting as impediments to jobs growth . . . [which] includes introducing a Central Procurement Board and urgent short-term measures to ensure Tasmanian businesses are not disadvantaged when tendering for government contracts.''

Ms Giddings appeared to blame some jobseekers for the poor result, saying ``there are some people who are making the choice not to take a job, and in this climate, we need people to take employment on''.

Mr Gutwein called that comment an ``embarrassing gaffe'', saying Ms Giddings ``is in la la land if she thinks that's the reason unemployment is skyrocketing''.