Jobless at 150,000?

Press, 24 July 1987, Page 1

Jobless at 150,000?

A rise to 84,000 is the next instalment on a road likely to reach total unemployment of 150,000, according to the Opposition spokesman on labour, Mr Bill Birch (Nat., Franklin). These latest figures reflected the true state of the economy under the Government, he said. It was useless Mr Goff (Minister of Employment) trying to fudge the issue by talking about “a winter rise” in unemployment.

What could not be disguised, Mr Birch said, was that unemployment was going up and up. Unemployment would continue to rise with high inflation and high interest rates. The official figures showed that 7.5 per cent of the labour force in the South Island was unemployed and 5.9 per cent in the North Island. If Labour were re-elected and the broad Left was unable to

force a reversal of Rogemomics, unemployment, based on the British experience, could eventually reach 150,000, said Mr Birch.

But Mr Goff said Mr Birch’s credibility ought to be judged on his gross over-estimates of unemployment levels. Also, people should not forget that under a National Government unemployment really had topped 130,000, he said.