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Govt asked to do more following another rise in unemployment

Author
Michael Sergel,
Publish Date
Wed, 4 May 2016, 8:08PM
(Getty Images).
(Getty Images).

Govt asked to do more following another rise in unemployment

Author
Michael Sergel,
Publish Date
Wed, 4 May 2016, 8:08PM

The Government's being asked to do more to promote active job creation, following another rise in unemployment.

New figures from Statistics New Zealand show unemployment rose from 5.4 per cent to 5.7 per cent in the March quarter, but is lower than this time last year.

The drop doesn't take account of a large number of recent redundancies at New Zealand Post, Cavalier Bremworth and Fisher and Paykel.

However, figures also show about 100,000 workers need longer work hours than they're currently being offered in their jobs.

Council of Trade Unions secretary Sam Huggard said the Government needs to support job growth, including through its own procurement processes.

"The labour market's at a record high. There's lot of people out there in the labour market looking for work. We want to make sure people who are moving into new jobs and are well supported to do so."

Mr Huggard said many people in part time or casual employment want to be working full time instead.

"That reflects a lot of people in casual hours and previous zero-hour type jobs but for a lot of people actually that means they need more hours available."

He said almost 400,000 adults aren't getting as much as they want.

Treasury was forecasting a much lower unemployment rate of 5.1 per cent.

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