Stagnant Unemployment rate suggests Rockstar economy out of drugs

By
Martyn Bradbury
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14
2

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It is important for the Right to be in poverty denial and it is central to that poverty denial that the myth of a hands off Government creating the environment for job creation is maintained.

Sadly the maintenance of that myth took another hit today with the release of stagnant unemployment figures that don’t show everyone is benefiting from National’s ‘Brighter Future’.

With unemployment rate for 20-24year old up 2.2%, 20% of 15-19year olds unemployed & Maori unemployment climbing to 13.2%, it looks like the rockstar economy is out of drugs.

Meanwhile Paula Bennett effectively brainfarts this out as a jobs policy…

Dear dirty filthy bludgers,

For just $3000, you too could be homeless in an earthquake zone!

love Paula Bennett & The National Party

…bribing beneficiaries into a natural disaster might pass as social policy at Slytherin House, it should raise eyebrows in a functioning democracy.

…

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14 COMMENTS

  1. Ah yes, the PM’s genius announcement for the unemployed. 3 grand to relocate to Christchurch and you sir/madam may reside under a bridge or maybe if you hit it big, a bus shelter. Park benches are all the rage in summer apparently.

    Nationals Policy department is as I suspected, bankrupt.

    And of course these questionable unemployment figures are from our not to be trusted government. Remember if you work just one hour per week, Paula considers you employed.

    • There was a time that NZ governments knew how to deal with these kinds of problems – I remember the single men’s camps on hydro schemes – not beautiful, but practical.

      Labour should glom the policy and add support until it works. If there are leftover temporary accomodation units at the end, they might not be bad things to have about near a recurring earthquake zone. This should be Christchurch’s last winter of discontent.

      • “This should be Christchurch’s last winter of discontent.”

        It won’t be.

        Which beneficiaries are being offered a bribe? Tradies? Labourers? The Unemployable Over-50s? From where?

        And the purpose is? Putting the squeeze on the Labour-led council to show it can’t handle influxes of assistance? How sweet and likely.

        Do the hordes get preference over people who have been flooded four times in the last little while? Or are the new chums to be parked in the Red Zone to keep out the squatters?

        What an inept government we have. Clueless.

        • Fair point about who gets chosen – and yes this was an attack, not a policy. When you’re as useless as Brownlee attack is all you’ve got.

          If I were the incoming government I’d hire 1-200 clerical staff to coordinate the cleanup – more if necessary. An abundance of people who will listen and keep track of progress on top of the army of workers and possibly still some volunteers who will be doing the actual work.

          With a bit of coordination with council they could start work on September 21. Historically NZ was good at this kind of thing – and I think the people still are.

          • If I were the incoming government I’d hire 1-200 clerical staff to coordinate the cleanup – more if necessary.

            The government just needs to make sure the needed resources are available and then let the people sort themselves out. But National, in their over-riding ego and sense of entitlement, have made this one of those times when government really is getting in the way.

      • @ Stuart – Indeed. My dad worked on the hydro project at Deep Cove, and was billetted on the Wanganella. (We heard stories how the Kea would nick his lunch and small tools he left outside.)

        If the government of the day could organise this kind of support structure in the 1960s, without the benefit of the internet; satellite communications; and other high-tekery – it beggars belief that our country has become so incompetant that we can’t do likewise, fifty years later.

        And worst of all – where is the “free market” to solve these crucial problems?

        Answer; no where to be seen. Or, in Rio Tinto’s case – holding their hands out for taxpayer bail-outs.

        The Christchurch rebuild has been a fiasco.

        Compare how Napier was re-built – in just two years, after the 1931 earthquake; http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/historic-earthquakes/page-8

        Un-fucking-believable.

        • 1951 Napier is so far removed from Christchurch today it is irrelevant. In 1951 the Govt. didn’t have to contend with the RMA or the proliferation of other ‘PC’ rules. They seconded the unemployed at will (which you’d be the first to scream about I’m sure), and the armed forces, and got to rebuilding. The other thing they didn’t have to deal with was an incompetent council and mayor. Unlike Christchurch today.

  2. With the shortage of rental accommodation in Christchurch where will these people live, the shortage of accommodation has brought about high rents for what is available so are these people going to earn enough to pay their rent, live and feed themselves.

    But I suppose that does not matter it is election year and did not John Key promise jobs for the young people of NZ, maybe this is the way he is keeping that promise.

    • What I want to know is why Key didn’t start this two years ago!!! Why wait till now???

      • Doesn’t matter when it was started as it won’t actually achieve anything any way. It’s not supposed to, it’s only supposed to look like the government is doing something and that tells you why it’s being done now – it’s election year.

  3. “Stagnant unemployment figures”?

    “NZ employment strong: domestic boom boosts labour market.

    New Zealand’s labour market tightened further in Q4. The unemployment rate fell to 6.0% (in line with market expectations), while employment growth rose by a strong +3.0% y-o-y (market had +2.4%). New Zealand’s economy is beginning to boom and this has boosted hiring and labour force participation. ”

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1402/S00163/nz-employment-strong-domestic-boom-boosts-labour-market.htm

    I’d be interested to know if you can name very many countries that are growing as fast out of the recession as NZ.

    • Mmm – a press release – light on real numbers and supporting detail, and from the same folk who coined the ‘rockstar economy’ nonsense.

      6% unemployment and no wage growth is not a boom. There has been some engineered capital market growth, but it has yet to impact positively on the real economy, and likely won’t.

      As we’re entering the winter quarter no great economic surge is likely till post election. The Gnats have had six years to get runs on the board and chose not to. The punters will probably punish them for it.

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