Grim time for student jobs

Press, 8 December 1988, Page 7

Grim time for student jobs

By

DEBORAH McPHERSON

Students are facing a grim time finding holiday employment, according to the Social Welfare Department’s latest information.

So far some 1900 students had applied for the emergency unemployment benefit, a sharp increase to the 1400 applications received altogether last holidays. The department’s assist-

ant for benefits and pensions, Mr Alan McKenzie, said he had employed 15 extra staff just to process the students’ applications.

The employment office in Manchester Street had

also been “desperately busy” processing up to 400 other unemployment applications last week, he said. The increase was in spite of the opening of a new office in Riccarton, which had been expected to relieve some of the

workload, he said. In addition, up to 2200 people had come in seeking information. Normally the office dealt with about

1700 to 1800 inquiries a week.

“Most of the applications are from people who have been made redundant, but we have also noticed an increase in the number of school leavers applying,” said Mr McKenzie. Most people had been

“pretty tolerant,” and seemed to recognise the department was doing its best to process the applications before Christmas, he said. The. office moves to new, larger quarters at 195 Hereford Street this week-end and would be closed on Monday “sorting things out.” Emergency benefit applications would still be received at the Christchurch office in Cathedral Square.