12 July 2002

Eighteen percent more job seekers were placed into long-term employment by Work and Income in the year to June than during the previous year – taking total long-term job placements to over 50,000 for the first time.

Meeting with the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs in Wellington this morning, Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey said Work and Income achieved 51,535 3-months or longer job placements for the year ended 30 June 2002. In the 2000/01-year Work and Income achieved 43,429 long-term job placements.

“The figure of 51,535 represents an 18% plus increase on the number of job placements for the 2000/01 year. Or to put it another way the number of beneficiaries we have put into long-term jobs would fill the Wellington Stadium over one-and-a-half times.

“In the last full year under the previous government 15,313 long-term jobs were found – under the present Labour-led government we have seen a 300% plus improvement.

“As the ANZ Job Ads survey noted yesterday employment growth looks set to continue. The government will be keeping its eye very firmly on job creation.

“These numbers quite simply put the lie to the claims that are made about job seekers languishing on the benefit. The Labour-led government not only has presided over a period of significant job growth – 104,000 jobs over the last 2 years; but has also managed to reconnect thousands of unemployed job seekers with work, independence, and a sense of self-worth,” Steve Maharey said.

Steve Maharey also confirmed that a Labour-led government will recommit to the formal partnership with the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs.

“It is nearly two years since Government and the Mayors jointly committed to work together to achieve ‘zero waste’ of our people. The Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Mayors Taskforce has provided a very solid foundation for a range of economic and social development initiatives.

“There are now 115 projects underway between the Ministry of Social Development and mayors and councils throughout the country.

“Economic growth and social development are our shared objectives. If given the privilege and the responsibility of government, Labour will work with Mayors to grow jobs, and re-build the economic and social fabric of our regions and communities,” Steve Maharey said.

Attached is a table showing stable employment outcomes by region during 2001/02.
Long-term job placements by region, 2001/02

Work and Income region:
Placements 2001-2002:

Auckland Central 4,373
Auckland North 4,590
Auckland South 5,787
Bay of Plenty 4,714
Canterbury 4,057
Central 2,804
East Coast 4,307
Nelson 2,518
Northland 2,638
Southern 3,900
Taranaki 2,794
Waikato 3,563
Wellington 4,781

Unknown 709

TOTAL 51,535

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