Any way you cut it, National’s failed on jobs

Written By: - Date published: 10:06 am, November 14th, 2012 - 15 comments
Categories: jobs - Tags:

It was a bizarre Question Time yesterday with Key, English, and Joyce all answering questions on the dire jobs numbers and giving contradictory excuses. Key said the HLFS unemployment number is the right figure to use but it ‘jumps around a lot’. English blamed the international situation. Joyce said we should look at benefit numbers and, besides, we were doing well internationally. But the truth of it is that, any way you cut it, National has failed on jobs.

Lets go through all the indicators.

The main one is the unemployment rate. At 7.3%, this is at its highest level this century. It is up from 4.2% when they entered office – a 74% rise under National.

Next, the number of unemployed people. At 175,000, this is at its highest level in 20 years. It is up from 97,000 when they entered office – an 80% rise under National.

Next, the number of jobless people (this is the unemployed plus people who want to work but aren’t looking ‘actively’ enough to count at unemployed – eg, they’re only looking in the newspaper). At 295,000, this is at its highest level ever. It is up from 126,000 when they entered office – a 65% rise under National.

Next, the number of underemployed people (those with a job, wanting more hours than they can get – eg. part-time workers wanting to go full-time). At 113,300, this is up 31,000 from 82,000 when they entered office – a 38% rise under National.

Next, the number of employed people. At 2,218,000, this is up just 8,000 in the last year and a half, despite a promise in Budget 2011 of 170,000 more people in work. It is up just from 24,000 when they entered office – a 1% rise under National vs a 5% increase in the working age population.

Next, the number of filled jobs. At 1,714,500, this is down 13,000 when they entered office – a 1% fall under National.

Next, the number of  people on the unemployment benefit. At 50,400, this is up 27,100 from 23,300 when they entered office – a 116% rise under National. (wasn’t it pathetic when Paula Bennett starting reading the wanted ads in Parliament yesterday to insinuate there were plenty of jobs, people were just not looking for them? The truth is, yes new jobs are being created all the time but more are being destroyed at the same time, and that’s why there’s more and more people unable to find work)

Finally, the number of  people on all benefits. At 321,000, this is up by 51,000 from 260,000 when they entered office – a 23% rise under National.

So, it’s awful however you look at it… and that’s without even going into things like the number of manufacturing jobs, now at its lowest level on record.

But isn’t it just the rest of the world’s fault? Aren’t we do well relative to the rest of the world? Not according to OECD stats presented by Russel Norman in Parliament yesterday, which show our increase in unemployment as been over 50% larger than the OECD average in the past four years – 3.1% in New Zealand, 2% on average in the OECD.

Not according to those same statistics, which show that in 15 of the 34 OECD countries, unemployment has dropped in the last year and he only countries to have an increase of our size or larger are Greece, Israel, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.

And not according to Statistics New Zealand, which says our ranking has gone from 6th lowest unemployment in the OECD four years ago to 15th lowest today.

15 comments on “Any way you cut it, National’s failed on jobs ”

  1. Craig Glen Eden 1

    Another broken promise by Key and National so much for their economic credibility..

  2. Chris 2

    Just heard key will be “catching up” with Chas and Cam today and he will be filling them in on New Zealand seeing as “the man will be king of NZ one day”Would love to be privy to that conversation!How will he spin his dismal showing as national leader who has led us nowhere.Even his cycleways ended up going nowhere. Bet he blames Labour!

  3. Well these are the scary numbers pushing me overseas, have the last job interview for a vaguely decent job this week. But the impressions I get is that they want people with lots of experience, as they have so many people applying for jobs that they have no choice but to go for the best qualified or that have the most experience. Gone are the days when I first got a job (in 08), with no police checks and the ability to walk into a supermarket, a bank,etc and get a full time job.

    But keep in mind that the National cult ignores reality, so they will vote him back in. All we can hope for is that by 2014 most voters wake up and see the homeless on the streets, I have seen at least 10 young people walking in central Wellington with sleeping bags over the last two weeks.

  4. hellonearthis 4

    Has anyone looked at the jobs that Bennett read from the wanted ads? It would be interesting to know who many people applied for those positions. Could it be like the supermarket where there are 30 jobs and 1000 applications.

    The Govt has many excuses as to why there are no jobs but only one plan to support new jobs and that plan is to do nothing and hope that it will all be ok.

    This National Govt are being short sighted slackers in working for New Zealand. Worst NZ Govt ever, they are even making Robs think big look like a good plan *shivers*.

    • Well for most jobs they have hundreds, for example for the new supermarket at Newtown over several days interviewed between 300-500 people, when they were going to transfer large numbers of staff from closing down supermarkets in other areas of Wellington. So those jobs she was pointing out, would probably have hundreds sending in their CV’s and barely any getting a job; also most companies are forced to advertise by law or by contract with recruitment companies [even if they have already found people for the jobs]. So her job ads are misleading at best, at worse straight out decietful.

  5. tsmithfield 5

    Both these numbers, and the employment numbers released the other day, are paradoxically a case of bad news = good news. The reason being that the NZ dollar has dropped against both the USD and the AU on the increasing expectation of a rate cut by our RB, thus easing some of the pain on our exporters. Had the numbers surprised to the upside, then the NZD would have strengthened instead, increasing the pain for our exporters.

  6. tracey 6

    Key in 2008

    “•Why, after eight years of Labour, are we paying the second-highest interest rates in the developed world?
    •Why, under Labour, is the gap between our wages, and wages in Australia and other parts of the world, getting bigger and bigger?
    •Why, under Labour, do we only get a tax cut in election year, when we really needed it years ago?
    •Why are grocery and petrol prices going through the roof?
    •Why can’t our hardworking kids afford to buy their own house?
    •Why is one in five Kiwi kids leaving school with grossly inadequate literacy and numeracy skills?
    •Why, when Labour claim they aspire to be carbon-neutral, do our greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at an alarming rate?
    •Why hasn’t the health system improved when billions of extra dollars have been poured into it?
    •Why is violent crime against innocent New Zealanders continuing to soar and why is Labour unable to do anything about it??

    …This time a year ago, I talked about the underclass that has been allowed to develop in New Zealand. Labour said the problem didn’t exist. They said there was no underclass in New Zealand.

    But who now could deny it? 2007 showed us its bitter fruits. The dramatic drive-by shooting of two-year-old Jhia Te Tua, caught in a battle between two gangs in Wanganui. The incidence of typhoid, a Third World disease, reaching a 20-year high. The horrific torture and eventual death of three-year-old Nia Glassie. The staggering discovery of a lost tribe of 6,000 children who are not enrolled at any school.

    …We will not sweep problems under the carpet. We will not meet the country’s challenges by quietly lowering our expectations.”

  7. Richard Down South 7

    take into account the people who left for aussie, and it gets worse

    • McFlock 7.1

      Next year we find out whether there’s been a rot, and how bad. 
         
      At the moment people are working with obsolete census projections. Especially when you get down to the regional level, these can vary wildly from where they end up by recalibration with the actual census survey.
               
      And the closer you want to look, that worse it gets – deprivation is 11 (including no response) cuts on the total, and then if you look at somewhere like East Cape you might find that the actual rates of XYZ are out by a factor of five or ten at the “per thousand” level. 
           
      The government had better hope that the population changes have not been hit too badly over the last 6 years – if the population in an area went down, a static number might actually be a concerning increase in rate, and the updated population estimates will be entering the publication sector in 2014 (so a limited time to manage the damage).

  8. I don’t write in my blog very often, for obvious reasons (as I am likely moving countries soon). But I think I got it right when I stated the following:

    “[…]Otherwise the pain will continue to go on, and eventually (if we aren’t careful) everything we have fought and died for in the second world war will be for nothing. We will have abandoned the notion that the individual human life is worth something, and in doing so adopted the National Socialist ideal that the weak in society ‘deserve to die’ . Austerity supporters don’t believe in human rights, only economic efficiency and greed; and greed not in a good way, a kind of greed that stipulates for a return to feudalism and serfdom for the middle and working class.[…]”

  9. Well done to Denise Roche in Parliament today (14th Nov)

    “…when did crime and misery become the cornerstone of the National Government’s job plan?”

    This is a catchy criticism, I hope that it spreads like wild-fire.

    Her previous question citing an Australian report’s findings that casinos, the Nats are so keen on, will cause {yet more] job losses, was spot on too:
    link to Parliament Today website

  10. tracey 10

    +1

    english is saying tht despite all the negative datat the economy is doing well. he must be using the same anecdotal evidence as the pm. it shows the circles both move in to be hearing anecdotally that ething us peachy…

    • Their adherence to tall stories is getting pretty extreme- pathological denial.
      “everything is peachy” lol good point re showing the circles they move in

Links to post

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-28T21:56:09+00:00