Unemployment Down 510

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31775, 4 September 1968, Page 1

Unemployment Down 510

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 3. The number of unemployed registered with the Labour Department dropped by 510 over the last two weeks of August to 7654, the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand) said today.

But the number of men employed on special Government works increased by 287 to 3780.

The number of unemployed registered on August 16 was 8164, but by August 30 male enrolments had fallen from 6227 to 5773 and female registrations from 1937 to 1881. Vacancies notified to the department for men on August 30 numbered 1450 and for women 687—a total of 2137. The corresponding figures a fortnight earlier were 1335 for men and 677 for women, a total of 2012. The current vacancies included 514 for skilled men and 235 for skilled women.

Figures released by the Social Security Department—the district boundaries of which closely resemble those of the Labour Department—show that 5099 men and women were receiving unemployment benefits, compared with 5609 two weeks earlier.

The following are the de- • tails of registered unem- ’ ployed at district offices of the Labour Department.

Aug 31 Aug 16 Northland .... ... 732 702 Auckland ... .. 1669 1854 Hamilton • Paeroa 789 788 Tauranga .. .. 158 160 Rotorua ». 332 322 Gisborne ■... . 207 231 Napier ... 218 189 Hastings r.. 406 356 New Plymouth ... 161 193 Wanganui . . 455 441 Palmerston North 373 418 Masterton 31 29 Lower Hutt ... 77 106 Wellington t .. 371 378 Blenheim . 4 ,.. 58 63 Nelson ► . 95 86 Greymouth . .1 ... 76 77 Christchurch t.. 816 935 Ashburton .., ... 42 43 Timaru . .1 150 168 Oamaru . .< r.. 69 73 Dunedin . ► . 177 234 Invercargill 214 311 Total ... 7654 8164