'Think big’ job decline warning

Press, 3 December 1982, Page 10

'Think big’ job decline warning

PA Wellington Jobs under the Government’s “think big” policy would be at a peak in January and February next year, and yet unemployment was expected to pass 100,000, Labour’s spokesman on employment, Mr T. K. Burke, has said. He said he was using information from the Govern-ment-funded Major Projects Advisory Group's newsletter. It showed that the peak would be reached early next year, and jobs would decline rapidly in the next three years. A graph in the newsletter showed that more than 10,000 people would be needed next year for the projects, but by 1986 that would drop to less than 6000. In the next three years, it was estimated that that figure would rise to 7000, but then fall away considerably. The figures made it clear why the Government was not training people for “think big” projects, Mr Burke said. “ ‘Think big’ works in peaks of demand for trades, and eventually falls away altogether. For example, welders are required be-

tween 1982 and 1984, but then less than half the peak number will be required until 1990,” Mr Burke said. It was more convenient to employ overseas labour because of the labour demands. By 1990, Mr Burke predicted. there would be few “think big” jobs left and any gain in foreign exchange earnings would be offset by a balance-of-payments deficit.