12. NICKY WAGNER (National) Link to this
to the Minister for Social Development and Employment
What reports has she seen on the Canterbury unemployment figures?
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) Link to this
There are currently 6,342 people on unemployment benefits in Canterbury. I can advise that although there are 962 more people on the unemployment benefit than the week before February’s earthquake, I am encouraged that businesses are open and hiring. It is likely that we are yet to see the full impact of all the earthquakes; however, it is a positive sign that there are more than 500 job vacancies in Canterbury through Work and Income.
What other reports has she seen on the increase of people on benefits as a result of the Canterbury earthquakes?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
I heard reports of 24,000 extra people going on to benefits. Those figures were put forward by Clayton Cosgrove via the media, and I think it was scaremongering. It made people very uneasy and upset. We quite simply have not reached the sort of level of unemployment of more than 20,000 people, as was quite often said. In fact, since the February earthquake the total number of people on benefits has decreased by 670, as we have seen people going off the invalids benefit and the domestic purposes benefit.