Unemployed ‘becoming more disillusioned’

Press, 29 September 1988, Page 4

Unemployed ‘becoming more disillusioned’

By

SUZANNE KEEN

Unemployed people seem to be becoming increasingly disillusioned when it comes to job seeking, according to the Canterbury United Council’s regional economist, Mr Philip Donnelly. He said that the Department of Statistics household labour force survey showed unemployment rates for the Christchurch District as considerably lower than the figure calculated in the Labour Department employment statistics.

Because the Department of Statistics classified people only as unemployed if they had made considerable effort to find a job, this suggested a large number of people eligible for dole payments was relatively inactive in searching for work. Mr Donnelly told yesterday’s United Council meeting that the June quarter survey showed a continued contraction of the labour force, both in Canterbury and at national level. The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research’s business opinion survey for the same period showed similar results in Canterbury. Forty-two per cent of the businesses, which responded to the survey, reported continued reductions in the number of people employed.

Almost half of the businesses forecast a deterioration in business conditions during the six months from June, while

only 12 per cent expected an improvement. The lack of demand was cited by 89 per cent of respondents as the major factor inhibiting increased production. Fifty-two per cent were planning to spend less on building in the coming year, while 46 per cent thought they would spend less on plant and machinery. Mr Donnelly said there were some very positive signs in the survey in terms of falling inflation and some, recovery of confidence in the manufacturing sector, although sluggish demand in the region was undermining business confidence. In response to a question by one councillor as to what could be done to improve the economy, Mr Donnelly said more emphasis needed to be put on the export sector. The chairman of the United Council, Mrs Margaret Murray, said she was increasingly concerned that local government was not being respected as a major party in discussion on solutions for job creation and reductions in unemployment. However, she said unemployment was a national issue and Government should fund any tasks local government undertook on its behalf. Cr Oscar Alpers said he was concerned that if local government became too involved in unemployment it could be lumbered with responsibilities it did not want.

Planning scheme The United Council has released the draft of a Canterbury. Regional Planning Scheme section dealing with land and water. The section provides for the protection of drinking water, rivers, lakes, beaches, fisheries, wildlife and wilderness, and for protecting people from flooding, poor drainage, erosion and uncontrolled development. Open fires Local government needs to ensure elderly people will not be severely disadvantaged by clean-air zones, according to Cr Brian Shackel. He said he was not satisfied that enough research had been done to predict the impact that a ban on open fires would have on the elderly. “I am worried about elderly people in old wooden homes who will be faced with using electricity in houses that are not properly insulated. It will probably also cost them more.” The chairman of the air pollution committee, Mr Pat Marriner, said he was sick of people who supported open fires dragging “poor old people” into their argument. “Those poor old people are going to be very lucky. They will not have to clean fires, have their chimneys cleaned out, cart wood or have chimney fires,” he said.