Sue Moroney
Social Development Spokesperson

5 February 2014

No cause for celebration in unemployment figures

There is no cause for celebration in the latest figures on unemployment, says Labour’s Social Development spokesperson Sue Moroney.

“In spite of a drop in the overall number of unemployed, the figures for youth, Maori and women are all significantly up. The number of 15-19 year olds unemployed has increased by 4,000 since National took office.

“This is an indictment of the Government’s policies on unemployment.

“Just as troubling is the number of youth not in Education, Employment or Training, which has increased since National took office by 11,300.

“2,700 more Māori are now unemployed than in the last quarter and there is also now more women out of work with 6.9 per cent unemployed, up from 6.7 per cent.

“It is equally disastrous in some of the regions. The unemployment rate in the Bay of Plenty is 9.3 per cent. That is 3,200 more people without jobs. Unemployment has also risen in the Waikato, Taranaki and in the provincial cities of the South Island.”

ENDS

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