9. Hon JOHN BOSCAWEN (Leader—ACT) Link to this
to the Minister of Labour
Does she stand by her statement in relation to the abolition of the youth minimum wage that “we were concerned it would price young people off the job market”; if so, why?
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Transport) Link to this
Hon John Boscawen Link to this
Does she agree with the Department of Labour report that the abolition of the youth minimum wage has accounted for a loss of between 4,000 and 9,000 jobs for 16 and 17-year-olds; if so, does she agree that this confirms what the ACT Party has said all along—that abolishing the youth minimum wage has thrown young people on the unemployment scrap heap and that the only caring solution is to reinstate the youth minimum wage immediately?
I can confirm that the research stated that the minimum wage increase accounted for approximately 20 percent to 40 percent of the fall in proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds in employment by 2010. However, it should be noted that it did not have a significant impact on unemployment per se according to this report, because most of the 16 and 17-year-olds impacted were students who were combining study with part-time employment. It is important we consider that, as well as the headline that the member raises.