Unemployment hits new record high

Press, 25 September 1987, Page 2

Unemployment hits new record high

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington

Registered unemployment in New Zealand has hit a new record high, with 90,152 out of work at the end of August, but jobless numbers fell in Christchurch and Westland.

This represented 6.8 per cent of the workforce, calculated at 1,332,342 in the 1981 census, the last full figure available. The August figures were up 1993 on the 88,159 registered in July. The figures were described by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, as appalling and by the Minister of Employment, Mr Goff, as unwelcome. At 90,152, there are 19,321 more registered unemployed than there were a year ago. Included in the total were 4925 school-leavers,

33 fewer than at the end of July but 1597 more than a year ago.

Of those registered, 20,347 had been enrolled for less than four weeks, 29,250 for four to 13 weeks, 18,735 for 13 to 26 weeks, and 21,550 for more than six months. Christchurch was one of

the few areas in New Zealand where numbers fell in August — from 9115 to 8959, down 156, to 5.9 per cent of the workforce. Areas with a substantial rise in the number of unemployed were Hamilton (708), Whangarei (301), Manukau (247), New Plymouth (232), Wanganui (175), and Nelson (135). Areas where the numbers fell were Palmerston North (194), Christchurch (156), Lower Hutt (102), Takapuna (69), Greymouth (64), and Dunedin

(two). Regions with the highest levels of unem-

ployment are Whangarei (15.3 per cent), Gisborne (12.4 per cent), Hastings (11.8 per cent), Greymouth (11.2 per cent), Napier (11.1 per cent), Rotorua (11 per cent), and Invercargill (10.5 per

cent). Christchurch has the lowest rate in the South Island (5.9 per cent) but in the North Island Takapuna has only 1.0 per cent, Lower Hutt (2.5 per cent), Wellington (3.0 per cent), and Auckland (3.5 per cent). Registered unemployment in Blenheim stands at 1344 (9.7 per cent); Nelson, 2263 (8.7 per cent); Greymouth, 1503 (11.2 per cent); Christchurch 8959 (5.9 per cent); and Timaru 2078 (9.1 per cent).