Today's Ministry of Social Development quarterly data shows Labour has entrenched welfare dependency despite widespread worker shortages, National’s Social Development and Employment spokesperson Louise Upston says.

“While businesses across New Zealand are desperate for staff, there are still 50,000 more people are on the Jobseeker benefit compared with when Labour came to office.

"The number of people on the Jobseeker benefit is stubbornly high, with 170,000 today, similar to the number recorded six months ago.

“With a 50 per cent increase of people stuck on the Jobseeker benefit for longer than a year, a golden opportunity is being frittered away to help more New Zealanders reap the independence and opportunities employment provides.

“Labour appears content to passively allow too many people to languish on the benefit without any direction or support. Under Labour, fewer beneficiaries are accessing case management support, and obligations to find work are being enforced less often.

"National has a plan to break vicious cycles of welfare dependency in young adulthood. These cycles squander young New Zealanders’ potential and hurt the prospects of children in benefit-dependent households.

"We will power up community organisations to deliver tailored coaching for young Jobseekers, set clear obligations about their need to prepare themselves for work, reward those who break their dependence on benefits, and apply sanctions to those who, without good reason, refuse to engage.

"It's time Labour cut the excuses. If they cannot reduce benefit dependency at a time of severe worker shortages, it’s clear the Government’s welfare approach has failed."

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