Survey indicates job losses from slump

Press, 29 July 1986, Page 32

Survey indicates job losses from slump

PA Wellington Hundreds and possibly thousands of jobs will be lost in the towns and cities as a result of the downturn in farming incomes, early returns of a national Chambers of Commerce survey indicate.

The businesses affected will cover a wide range, from florists, dentists and engineers through to those more directly reliant on farmers for their employment, such as top-dressing companies. The New Zealand

Chambers of Commerce executive director, Mr Peter Wakelin, said about 500 businesses from Bluff to Kaitaia had returned questionnaires.

About 73 per cent of them said business had dropped substantially. On average, sales were down 40 per cent from last year.

“It is pretty hard to sustain staff numbers when sales are dropping like that,” Mr Wakelin said. Some 40 per cent of the businesses said they

either had or intend putting staff off, he said. If the several hundred other businesses expected to return their questionnaires in the next few days make similar replies, hundreds or possibly thousands of jobs may be lost as a result of the farming downturn. Where those businesses were in rural ( Communities, the employees put off would have difficulty finding other work because "there are not the jobs available,” Mr . Wakelin said. '* ' ■