Jobless total of 96,000 worst since Depression

Press, 11 December 1982, Page 1

Jobless total of 96,000 worst since Depression

The number of people unemployed or on job-creation schemes reached a new postDepression record of 96,113 at the end of November, according to figures released yesterday by the Minister of Labour, Mr Bolger.

The number registered as unemployed rose from October 29 by 3378 to 56,665. while 18.495 were on public sector job schemes (a rise of 23). 14.413 were on private sector schemes (up 839). and 6540 students were registered as seeking holiday work. Among those registered as unemployed were 3700 school-leavers.

In the Christchurch employment district, which includes Ashburton, the number of registered unemployed rose by 873, to 7627, compared with 6754 at October 29.

At this date no students were registered as unemployed, but by November 30 there were 663, bringing the total registered and looking for work to 8290. or 5.5 per cent of the Christchurch work-force. The number of people on special work schemes remained at 4286.

The district superintendent of the Labour Department. Mr W. T. Holland, said that there was no clear reason for the rise, in the number of registered unemployed. A substantial proportion were school-leavers (256) while others included job-seekers re-enrolling after coming off special work schemes, redundant workers, and Islington

freezing workers. The Press Association reported that during last month. 8109 tertiary students enrolled for holiday work, compared with 11,197 in November last year. By the

end of the month 6540 students had still not received holiday jobs. The figures released yesterday morning by Mr Bolger confirmed a total of registered unemployed released on Thursday evening by the Labour Party spokesman on employment, Mr T. K. Burke (West Coast).

Mr Burke accused Mr Bolger of withholding the information on Thursday evening, but the department said yesterday that the Minister did not at that time have the basic information needed for him to make a statement. “All this information was still in the department at the time the total was released

by Mr Burke,” said a Deputy Secretary of Labour, Mr P. D. Jones. South Island unemploye jnent figures (including students) to November 30 (with last month’s figures in

parentheses) were: Blenheim, 498 (495), 3.7 per cent of the work-force; Nelson, 1274 (1062), 5.0; Greymouth, 675 (616), 5.0; Christchurch,’ 8290 (6754), 5.5; Timaru, 910 (999), 4.0; Dunedin, 2899 (2220). 3.9; Invercargill, 2211 (2332), 5.1; New Zealand total, 63.205 (55,424), 5.0.