Unemployment up 24,000 on same time last year

Press, 21 October 1986, Page 2

Unemployment up 24,000 on same time last year

PA Wellington The number of registered unemployed at the end of September was up 2847 compared with the previous month, according to Labour Department figures given today.

The total of 73,678 registered as unemployed was an increase of 24,527 over the September, 1985, figure.

Included in the total were 3202 school-leavers — a drop of 126 on the previous month.

Significant changes in the number of registered unemployed from August were recorded in Hamilton (up 609), Rotorua (up 588), Gisborne (up 341), Napier (up 318), Palmerston North (up 288), Whangarei (up 269), Tauranga (up 241), and Invercargill (up 203). Dunedin recorded a drop of 309.

• At the end of September there were 6642 people engaged on fully subsidised employment asssistance programmes — down 2273 from August and 10,938 on the September, 1985, figure. Also 6752 people were engaged on partly subsidised employment assistance programmes — down ‘143 from August and 7192 from September, 1985. New entrants to the Training Assistance Programme during September numbered 5034, up 1970 from August At the end of September there were 9355 people in training under the Training Assistance Programme, up 2166 from August. Registered unemployed (excluding holiday workers), by districts at the end of September

were: Blenheim, 876 (854 in August), 6.3 per cent of the labour force; Nelson, 1524 (1453), 5.8; Greymouth, 978 (948), 7.3; Christchurch, 7698 (7747), 5.1; Timaru, 1596 (1665), 7; Dunedin, 5101 (5410), 7; Invercargill, 4428 (4225), 9.6.

The sharply rising un- ■ employment figures indicated the failure of the Labour Government’s economic policies, said the Opposition spokesman on employment, Mr Bill Birch. Mr Birch said the figures showed that provincial areas had become severely depressed.

“The rural areas are dying as a consequence of changed policies in the forestry, farming and manufacturing sectors,” he said.