Decrease in unemployment not nearly enough

Any drop in the unemployment rate is welcome news, but a 0.1 percent decrease is not nearly enough, Labour employment spokesperson Jacinda Ardern says.

“Kiwis want to work, but unfortunately there are simply too few jobs being created to get the thousands of people desperately looking for employment back to work,” Jacinda Ardern said.

“What is also alarming is that the latest unemployment figures paint a dismal picture for young New Zealanders trying to enter the job market.

“Youth unemployment has now hit 27 percent for those aged 15-19; more than four times the average unemployment rate. We’ve reached crisis point, with more young people looking for work now than we have ever seen on record before,” Jacinda Ardern said.

“It’s time Paula Bennett and Prime Minister John Key acknowledged that since they took office, youth unemployment has increased by 53%.

“The Youth Employment Package announced yesterday just isn’t enough, and in real dollar terms, actually amounted to a cut in funding for industry training programmes.

“The Government is tinkering around the edges unemployment. Kiwis want real jobs, that deliver them decent incomes that they can support themselves with, unfortunately National haven’t delivered a plan for job growth,” Jacinda Ardern said.