Chch fares worst in employment slump

Press, 12 June 1986, Page 1

Chch fares worst in employment slump

By

PATRICIA HERBERT

in Wellington

Christchurch has recorded the sharpest over-all drop in job vacancies in the year to February 20.

A Labour Department survey released last evening blames a depressed job market nationally on the contraction in the building and manufacturing industries. The survey shows a drop of 1459 vacancies in these activities in the year to February 20. This compares with a drop across all other sectors of only 1258. Christchurch recorded the biggest over-all decrease at 290 jobs.

The survey is made every six months and covers 79,000 establishments employing an estimated 75 per cent of

the New Zealand workforce. Among its other findings are that the employment figures are being propped up to an extent by the public sector; and that Government departments, corporations and local authorities all showed an increase over the year, the drop being confined to construction and manufacturing industries. Forestry, mining, electricity, gas and water, the restaurant and hotel trade, transport, communications, and personal services all showed slight increases. The only industry

grouping to record a significant increase was finance, insurance, and real estate. Most affected by the squeeze are young people under 20. The survey showed that 3062 of the full-time vacancies registered were available to them, a drop of 574 on last year. The Minister of Employment, Mr Burke, greeted the total number of job vacancies, at 11,618, as “a good result.” It indicated that the labour market was “still healthy,” even though, slightly down on 1985, he said.