Mixed reaction to NZ jobless figures

9 Feb 2012, 12:17 pm   -   Source: AAP
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The government is hailing the latest unemployment figures but Labour says there's still big problems.

The fall in unemployment is being described by the government as further evidence the economy is heading in the right direction.

But the opposition Labour party says it's only just keeping pace with the growth in the working age population and the number of young people who can't get jobs has risen.

Statistics released on Thursday show unemployment falling from 6.6 per cent to 6.3 per cent in the last three months of last year, reflecting a sharp rise in part-time employment and a decline in the number of people looking for work.

Employment Minister Steven Joyce says 34,000 jobs have been created over the past year.

"The latest results are encouraging given the challenges the country has had to face over the past few years with the global financial crisis and the Canterbury earthquakes," he said.

Labour's employment spokesman Su'a William Sio says the government is still failing young people.

"Getting young Kiwis into employment, education or training was a key platform for National in the run-up to the election," he said.

"Yet the number of 15 to 19-year-olds not doing any of those increased by 5000 in the three months to December, meaning the total number of jobless young people between the ages of 15 and 24 has risen by a staggering 17,000 since John Key took office."

Mr Sio says the figures mask the true state of employment because the Rugby World Cup and the election created numerous short-term, low-paid jobs.

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