Fewer Jobs, not Poor Attitude the Issue
The CTU is objecting to Minister Paula Bennett saying that the jobs are there for those with the right attitude in
respect of youth unemployment.
Peter Conway, CTU Secretary said "in the last 5 years the rate of youth unemployment has doubled to 27.5 percent and it
is simply wrong for the Government to say this is due to the attitude of young people."
"We have 155,000 people unemployed in this country. In 2005, New Zealand had the lowest rate of unemployment of any
country in the OECD. Now we have slipped to 11th lowest."
"All countries were affected by the global financial crisis," said Peter Conway, "but why are we doing so much worse
than others in terms of the longer term effect on jobs?"
Peter Conway said "the fact is the Government has simply not made job security a priority. The big money in the
recession went for tax cuts to those on high incomes. Support for those out of work has been phased down and the Youth
Guarantee is just too small a programme to have a major impact."
ENDS