Unemployment is falling in all three Tasmanian regions.
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The number of Tasmanian jobseekers receiving federal income support payments decreased by nearly 800 to about 14,000 between August and October, according to state Treasury analysis of Social Services Department figures.
They also decreased by 1421 between October 2017 and October 2018.
Between August and October this year, the numbers fell by:
- 195 to 3049 in the North-West and West;
- 131 to 4569 in Launceston and the North-East; and
- 464 to 6378 in Hobart and the South-East.
The figures followed on from recent Australian Bureau of Statistics numbers showing jobs growth had resumed in the combined North-West and West after a significant decline in employment.
The ABS figures showed the North and South had continued their employment booms.
The departmental figures also showed Tasmania making strong progress on long-term unemployment, which is defined as people technically unemployed for a year or more.
They had decreased by 557 to 10,747 between August and October.
Tasmania gained 2300 jobs in the year to October in trend terms, the ABS estimated.
BUILDERS BUSY
Federal figures showed Tasmanian job vacancies advertised on three major online recruitment sites increased by a nation-leading 17.7 per cent in October, compared to October 2017.
Treasurer Peter Gutwein said most of the vacancy growth had been in construction-related occupations.
ABS figures released on Wednesday underlined the strength of the construction sector.
“The construction work done preliminary figures for the September 2018 quarter showed a 31.7 per cent increase in the value of new residential work done, compared to the previous year,” Building and Construction Minister Sarah Courtney said.
“Not only is this the highest growth rate in the country, but it is almost four times higher than the national growth rate of 8.6 per cent.
“Tasmania is also performing well in other areas of construction, with the value of total construction work done increasing by 4.4 per cent compared to the previous quarter, with the total value of work done in Tasmania nearly $2.9 billion in the year to September 2018, which is an increase of 11.3 per cent.
“Engineering construction activity also grew over the September 2018 quarter, up by 13.6 per cent in real terms compared to the previous year, in contrast to a 5.8 per cent increase in the growth experienced nationally.”
