The Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) says the cost of doing business and the cost of living are the biggest concerns for their members.
In their latest quarterly survey of business expectations, the state’s “voice of business” said business confidence was treading water.
“The cost of doing business is the number one concern of our members,” TCCI CEO Michael Bailey said.
“The cost of living is the second biggest concern. These two issues are by far the biggest worry for the business sector and we want all political parties and candidates to have a clear plan to fix the issue and get Tasmania moving again.”
“A shortage of labour and skills is also hurting and is just another reason why we want the next Tasmanian Government to boost the participation rate.”
He said similar to households, businesses are also concerned about rising insurance costs, interest rates, taxes and power prices.
“This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. These issues have been worrying businesses for months if not years and really we want to see a contest of ideas and some constructive policies to get Tasmania moving during the election,” he said.
Lack of willingness to work and unrealistic job expectations are seen as barriers to Tasmanians entering the workforce, according to 53% and 51% of respondents respectively.
Entry level wages and child care restraints are viewed as problems by 20% and 19% of participants.
31% of businesses plan to increase their workforce in the next 12 months, while 50% expect their workforce to remain the same and 13% intend to cut jobs.
“Pleasingly, half of the businesses surveyed said they want to grow their business in the next six months, which shows there is some cautious optimism out there, as long as we get the broader settings right,” he said.
