Government continues to fail on Otago jobs front

new-zealand-labour-party

Fri Aug 06 2010 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Government continues to fail on Otago jobs front

Friday, 6 August 2010, 3:38 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

**Government continues to fail on jobs front for Otago
**

Unemployment in Otago has decreased over the past three months from 6.3% to 4.7% which sounds promising; however the labour force participation rate reflects a workforce who have given up looking for employment, Dunedin South MP Clare Curran said today.

"This government’s lack of economic plan continues to adversely affect Kiwi families," Clare Curran said.

"The labour force participation rate - which reflects those actively looking for work in Otago, has decreased from 69.2% to 68% over the past three months. This could mean that many people in Otago have given up looking for work because there isn't any.

"On top of this many people in Otago have jobs that don’t pay much and they haven’t had a pay rise for a long time.

“Although figures show unemployment is down in Otago factors such as increasing GST and cuts to home help show that this government’s lack of an economic plan continues to rebound on Kiwi families,” Clare Curran said.

Nationwide unemployment has sharply increased from 6% to 6.8%.

“These figures are far worse than predicted and further demonstrate that the economic policies of this government are failing Kiwi families.

“Stunts like the Jobs Summit and cycleway have failed to deliver new jobs and Kiwis continue to feel uncertain over our employment market.

Clare Curran said it is clear that the National government has no plan to build a stronger economy.

“Why is the government making workers even more vulnerable by extending its 90 day ‘fire at will’ laws to all companies, when unemployment continues to rise and people are still out of work?

“Where is this government’s plan to close the wage gap with Australia?

“The truth is over the last three months the Otago community has felt the effect of National’s failure to deliver a stronger economy.”

ENDS

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