Unemployment Still Falling

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32078, 28 August 1969, Page 30

Unemployment Still Falling

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, August 27.

The number of registered unemployed continues to decline, according to the latest returns from the Labour Department.

At August 15, the latest available date, 3121 persons were registered as unemployed. This was 139 fewer than a fortnight before.

The Minister of Labour (Mr Shand) said today when releasing the figures that the present total of registered unemployed represented a decrease of more than 5000 on a year ago, when it was 8164. Vacancies notified to the Labour' Department at August 15 totalled 3588 (including 2531 for men). Among these vacancies were 1039 for skilled men and 389 for skilled women. Decreases in registered unemployed since August 1 included 195 in Invercargill where many men have returned to the oyster industry when dredging of the Bluff beds was reopened, Hamilton (35), Rotorua (30), and Northland (22). Some increases were recorded. The Hastings district had 90 more (mostly freezing workers and general labourers and a few shearers), Wanganui 28 (local employers were reluctant to engage freezing workers knowing their stay would be short), Napier 21, Greymouth 16, and Nelson 15, Mr Shand said. Hutt Shortage

The Wellington district office had a surprising number of vacancies. 159 for unskilled males, he said. Recently it placed 56 men, mostly in unskilled building and engineering jobs, and three Hutt Valley motorassembly firms recruited 29

men in Invercargill, with the department’s assistance. One of these motor firms had visited seven other towns seeking labour. The number of registered males unemployed in the Auckland district is 582, Wel-lington-Lower Hutt 136, Christchurch 252, and Dunedin 94. Figures released simultaneously by the Social Security Department, showed that 2066 men and women (2317 at the end of July)’ were receiving the unemployment benefit The number of men receiving the benefit in the Auckland district was 374, Wellington-Lower Hutt 20, Christchurch 175, and Dunedin 59.