Collins has given up

Judith Collins and the National Party have given up on trying to misrepresent the reasons for New Zealand’s record low level of unemployment, says Social Development and Employment Minister Ruth Dyson.

“Despite being the National Party spokesperson on welfare, Judith Collins failed to ask any supplementary questions once again in the House today when I talked about New Zealand’s unemployment rate being at 3.4 per cent,” said Ruth Dsyon.

“This is a clear indication that she and the National Party have now given up on their misrepresentation of the numbers of people leaving the unemployment benefit. The main reason for people leaving Unemployment Benefit is because they get a job, it is not because they transfer to a Sickness or Invalid’s Benefit.

“Only 8.7 per cent of all Unemployment Benefit cancellations between February 2000 and January 2008 have been as a result of transfers to Sickness Benefit.

“Over the same period 56,900 went back the other way, having recovered their health sufficiently to engage in job search. The net transfer between the two benefits was just 31,500 in eight years.

“Only one-third of one percent of all Unemployment Benefit cancellations in the same period were a result of transfers to Invalid’s Benefit. The net transfer in eight years was just 2,790.

“As of December 2007 we have the highest level of employment recorded since records began.More than 2 million New Zealanders are now in paid work. That means there are 377,000 more jobs in the economy than in 1999.

“We have record employment, record labour force participation and record low unemployment.

“Thanks to initiatives like Working New Zealand, the Labour-led government is supporting more and more people into real jobs.”

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