Venkat Raman
Auckland, February 3, 2021
Although the adverse effects of Covid-19 continues to haunt the New Zealand economy, the impact is actually less than other countries of the world, including neighbouring Australia.
The latest figures released by Statistics New Zealand show that 17,000 jobs were filled in the December quarter representing a rise of 0.6% over the same period in 2019.
Women accounted for a major share of this increase, with 10,000 going into employment.
Statistics also show that most of these jobs were in the construction industry.
Pleasing comparisons
Finance Minister Grant Robertson said that unemployment rate fell from 5.3% to 4.9%.
While the OECD unemployment average is 6.9%, the figure for Australia is 6.8%, and much higher in the United States of America and Canada, both at 8.7%.
“This compares with the Treasury’s Half year Economic and Fiscal Update forecast unemployment rate of 6%. Construction jobs rose by 21,000 annually, which included those working as plumbers, electricians, and roofers. This more than offset the impact of Covid-19 on tourism-related industries,” he said.
Mr Robertson said that the government’s decisive actions to keep people connected to their jobs and support businesses and households through the Covid-19 pandemic has reflected in the latest employment Statistics.
Maori employment rises
“Recent business surveys have indicated that companies are intending to hire more staff, reflecting their confidence in the government’s management of the economy,” he said.
Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni said that Maori employment is up 5100 from a year ago.
“Our focus is on keeping the economy moving in the right direction and build back better, including investing heavily in education, skills and training. The stronger labour market saw more people come off the benefit in the December quarter, with nearly 27,000 entering paid work. We will continue to invest in support services to help people who lose their jobs upskill and re-enter the workforce. Our job is far from over,” she said.
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