Why is the high unemployment figure a surprise?

Kay Brereton from the Beneficiary Advocacy Federation of NZ says that “While Work and Income has been working hard with their new powers to reduce the number of people on benefit, this 'success has not translated to lower unemployment.”

“The effectiveness of the pre-benefit activities, and requiring people to reapply for benefit, is lauded by the Ministry and the Minister as successful in reducing benefit numbers. Yesterday's unemployment rate illustrates that lowering numbers on benefit is not the same as lowering unemployment.”

“That members of the National Party were surprised by a thirteen year high unemployment rate of 7.3% is an illustration of how out of touch they are with the realities for ordinary New Zealanders.”

“There are significant numbers of individuals in our communities with no job, little or no income, and no benefit, these are the people that Work and Income has turned away when they try to apply, or they have failed at reapplication, not satisfying their case manager that they have been 'trying hard enough' to find a job.”

“Somehow these people who have been pushed through the cracks have been invisible, MSD and the Minister happily pretending they don't exist, until they surprisingly show up in statistics. You will find these people homeless relying on the charity of friends and whanau.”

“To deny people the very basic support of a benefit is at best uncharitable, but to pretend they don't exist is inexcusable.”

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