Media release: FIRST Union
Thursday February 7, 2013

Unemployment stubbornly high

Unemployment is stubbornly high and the government needs to face up to the country’s jobs crisis, FIRST Union said today.

Unemployment sits at 6.9 per cent in statistics out this morning.

“This is 163,000 workers and their families who are being let down by a government with a hands off approach to both job retention and creation. Still more workers, such as those outside of the formal labour force and workers needing more hours, are suffering also.”

“The recent bombshell for workers at Summit Wool Spinners and Mainzeal illustrates that what economic recovery we have had since the Global Financial Crisis, has largely been a jobless recovery.

“Without a systematic plan to help grow jobs, and support firms retain workers, we will continue to see high unemployment.”

A fall in part time work was also particular concern to retail workers, Robert Reid said.

“Retail employs over a quarter of a million workers in New Zealand. Every shop we speak with has workers who are seeking more hours, because their current hours do not provide enough income to live on,” Robert Reid said.

Ends.

The National Distribution Union and Finsec joined forces in October 2011 to form New Zealand’s newest union – FIRST. The union represents 27,000 people working in Finance, Industrial (Textile and Wood) Retail, Stores & Transport. http://firstunion.org.nz

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