18 year unemployment high a testament to Government's economic mismanagement

The latest dire unemployment statistics are a testament to the failed economic management of the Key Government, Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said today.

The number of New Zealanders who are unemployed, 162,000, is the highest under National and the highest since 1994, despite the recession having officially ended three years ago. Unemployment is up by 2.6%, or 65,000, since National came to office.

"More than 3 years since John Key promised New Zealand that he would have an 'unrelenting focus on jobs', unemployment is still rising," said Mrs Turei.

"While National ministers are slapping themselves on the back for programmes that get a handful of people into work, the number of people out of work under their watch has ballooned by 65,000.

"When you count those who have given up looking as well as the official unemployed, there are over a quarter of a million jobless Kiwis.

"National's jobs-poor economic policies simply do not work. They have failed to deliver jobs for New Zealanders.

"We need smart, green economic policies that will give our exporters and local manufacturers a fair playing field, and grow jobs-rich industries such as public transport and renewable energy," said Mrs Turei.