Disaster recovery is not a plan for jobs

The Government cannot continue to rely solely on the Canterbury rebuild to fuel job growth, says Labour’s Employment spokesperson, Grant Robertson.

“Today’s jobs data shows unemployment has fallen to 4.3% in Canterbury – driven by the earthquake rebuild.

“But excluding Canterbury, around the rest of the country unemployment is 6.9% - or an estimated 6.6% on a seasonally adjusted basis

“The truth is that the Government has no idea how to stimulate the economy and job growth. It is relying on the country’s worst natural disaster to drive job growth. That’s not sustainable and it’s not a credible economic plan in anyone’s book.

“In Auckland unemployment actually rose in the March quarter to 7.3%. In Northland it is 10%. In Wellington it is at 6.8%. The economy under John Key and Bill English is not creating jobs outside of the Canterbury rebuild.

“In the wider economy, jobs are still being lost every day. In the last 48 hours we’ve seen job cuts announced at Tait Electronics and Solid Energy.

“Today’s unemployment statistics will be cold comfort to those 146,000 people around the country that are unemployed – that’s 41,000 more people out of work than when National came to power,” says Grant Robertson.

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