15 March 2007

Job boom bites further into benefit numbers

More than 24,000 New Zealanders have dropped off benefits over the past year, making a total of 118,000 since Labour became Government in 1999, Social Development Minister David Benson-Pope announced today.

The number of working-age people receiving benefits has fallen from 293,000 to 269,000 in the year to February 2007, according to official figures from the Ministry of Social Development.

"Unemployment Benefit numbers are down more than 16,000 on a year ago to an historically low total of 32,000," said Mr Benson-Pope.

"Domestic Purpose Benefit-Sole Parent (DPB-SB) numbers have dropped by 8,000 and I note that 'into work' is given as the reason for 44 per cent of DPB-SB cancellations over the year."

Mr Benson-Pope said that employment over the past seven years had increased by 319,000 people.

"That's 125 more people in jobs each day, every day since 1999.

"This Labour-led Government made a commitment to helping families young and old by reducing welfare dependency in favour of employment," said Mr Benson-Pope. "That meant sparking an economic transformation based on innovation, investment, and growth.

"By any measure we have been spectacularly successful in creating an environment where real jobs for real money are plentiful: 1,796,000 people in jobs in 1999, 2,115,000 seven years later."

ENDS

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