5000 more Kiwis join the dole queue

A further 5000 Kiwis are out of work in the past three months, showing the Government has no plan to create jobs, Labour’s Employment Spokesman Grant Robertson says.

“After nearly five years in office, National’s legacy is growing unemployment with more than 150,000 New Zealanders still desperately looking for work,” he says.

“It’s time for National to get past the excuses of the Global Financial Crisis and the earthquakes. New Zealanders should be seeing some hopes for jobs, instead people are fearing losing their job more than ever.”

The latest Household Labour Force Survey released today shows unemployment has risen to 6.4 per cent, from 6.2 per cent in March.

“It makes for depressing reading and comes hard on the heels of hundreds of job losses at New Zealand Post and Telecom,” Grant Robertson says.

“These are real people with families and with mortgages to pay. They are looking to the Government for practical ideas, but the Government is taking a ‘hands off’ approach to job creation.”

National promised in 2011 it would create 170,000 jobs by 2015. However, according to these figures the Government has only created 17,000 since June 2012, Grant Robertson says.

“That is woefully short. National has broken its promise. For all its bluff and bluster, New Zealanders are rightly asking where are the jobs? The Government has no strategy to get businesses creating opportunities for Kiwis.”

Labour estimates without the Christchurch rebuild, unemployment would be as high as 6.7 per cent, he says.

“At a time when there is clearly a huge amount of work in Christchurch, these figures should be significantly better.

“Labour is focussed on revitalising our manufacturing and exporting industries. A Labour government will also work with regions to develop sustainable jobs, and support research and development. That will create opportunities and employment throughout the country.”

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