Global recession bites New Zealand workers

The sharp rise in unemployment to 6 percent shows the impact of the international recession is really kicking in, hence the need for urgent action to keep New Zealand working.

The Government should do a lot more to sustain and create jobs, Green Party Employment Spokesperson Sue Bradford said today.

“The measures offered in our Green New Deal are a good place to start, for example through accelerating state house building, and increasing job creation in areas like energy efficiency, environmental protection and riverbank planting, and by investing in the community economic sector.”

Ms Bradford said the global financial meltdown and its effects have taken longer to affect New Zealand than most other parts of the world.

“But today’s Household Labour Force survey revealing that unemployment has risen to 138,000 - the highest level since June 1999 - marks the beginning of the real recession in this country.”

This unemployment crisis is accentuated by jobless figures of over 236,000, a rise of 38.5 percent since June 2008. It is vital the human face of unemployment is not forgotten, Ms Bradford said.

“That is a lot of people out of work – about twice the population of Dunedin. Each of them feeling the pressure of insecurity, loss of income and fear for the future which that implies.”

Ms Bradford said today’s figures don’t even portray a full picture of New Zealand’s unemployment and under employment crisis.

“Just because someone is counted as ‘jobless’ does not mean they are not unemployed - simply that they may not be able to take a job immediately - for example because of the need to find childcare - or because they are ‘only’ looking for work on the internet rather than out knocking on employers’ doors.

“Also noticeable is the sharp rise in women’s unemployment, and in the number of people who have been pushed into part time hours but who would like to work a lot more.

“Cutting hours, essential as it may be from an employer’s point of view, has an insidious impact on reducing incomes and quietly increasing poverty.”