Fewer on dole as reform looms

Stuff.co.nz - Colin Espiner - ‎8 March 2010

Welfare reform looms as the number of people on the unemployment benefit falls.

The number of unemployment-benefit recipients fell by 4224 in February - the single biggest drop since 2007.

Unemployment benefit numbers fell 6 per cent, compared with a 1 per cent rise in the same month last year. Overall, the number of people on all benefit types dropped by 10,816 - more than half of whom were young people.

The figures relate to those on benefits, not the unemployment rate, which remains at 7.3 per cent.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett said 5595 young people came off a benefit in the last month, aided by job-start programmes such as Job Ops and Community Max.

More than 3600 positions had been filled through Job Ops by the end of February, with 2927 positions filled through Community Max.

 

People on unemployment benefits drops

TVNZ - ‎Mar 6, 2010‎

She says it's pleasing to see 5595 young people came off the benefit in just the last month. Bennett says young people have been among the hardest hit

 

Unemployment, benefit figures drop

3News - ‎7 March 2010

The drop has been attributed to government schemes which target youth unemployment by subsidising employers to create new jobs for young people.

 

Confidence up as unemployment drops: Key

TVNZ - 8 March 2010

‎New figures show the number of people on all benefits fell by nearly 10816 over the last month, including 4224 people who came off the unemployment benefit.

 

Unemployment figures drop by about 6%

Radio New Zealand - 7 March 2010

The number of people on the unemployment benefit has fallen more strongly than it has done since the beginning of the recession.

 

See Also:

Youth Unemployment up to 18.4% 4 Feb 2010