Benefit figures released

The number of New Zealanders on a benefit rose by 1.1 percent in June.

“We knew recovering from a recession would be a long and bumpy road, but there are pockets of success,” says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

While the number of people on an Unemployment Benefit increased by about 2,000 overall, some urban areas experienced a decrease.

That number dropped 2.9 percent in Auckland and by 1.4 percent in Wellington.

The number of young Maori (18-24 year olds) on the Unemployment Benefit in Auckland has fallen by 21 percent since the start of the year.

The number of young Pacific Islanders on the Unemployment Benefit in Auckland also fell 21 percent since January.

“Clearly big urban areas like Auckland are an important part of the recovery picture. Hit first and worst, cities tend to recover first too,” says Ms Bennett.

“Job Ops and Community Max continue to help young people stay in work and stay engaged in their communities and we’re backing them by continuing to support and expand these initiatives,” says Ms Bennett.

The Government announced an extra 1,500 Community Max places in June.

To date, 6,080 Job Ops places and 3,571 Community Max places have been taken up.

Last month there were 332,924 people on benefits, and 62,085 people on the Unemployment Benefit.

4,109 people came off an Unemployment Benefit to take up a job in June. That number included 1039 Maori and 377 Pacific Island people.

The slight increase in the Unemployment Benefit was an expected rise, due in large part to seasonal work coming to an end.

ENDS

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