By Dan Parker
The Inland Revenue department has announced a plan which could see close to 200 jobs cut from regional centres.
The news comes on the same day in which the Household Labour Force Survey reported unemployment has remained steady at 6.5 percent for the June quarter.
The real surprise of the survey came in the shape of jobs added.
Lynley Choat retired last year but missed working so much she went back.
“I don't want to be a moaning old person,” says Ms Choat. “I want to have a positive life and to wake up every morning and have something to look forward to.”
At 70, Ms Choat is not alone. She is one of almost 14,000, 65 years of age plus, who have gained employment in the last 12 months.
In the last year the 65 plus and 20-24 age groups have pushed up the number of employed.
2,214,000 have jobs, which is an increase of 43,000.
Meanwhile 154,000 remain unemployed. That figure is down 3.7 percent which is the equivalent of 6000 jobs.
Social development minister Paula Bennett says the results are encouraging for a tough year for some people.
“With Christchurch and every thing else that has been going on, I think we can hold our heads high and say we are holding our own.”
Nationally the figures level out because a slump in Canterbury’s job market has been compensated by growth in Auckland.
But 15 to 19-year-olds remain a problem. Labour's Jacinda Ardern says one in four young people are now unemployed, “that’s staggering, it has to come down”.
Regardless, New Zealand is performing better than many comparable nations.
Principal economist for NZIER, Shamubeel Eaqub says New Zealand has not had as much government debt or as many problems with our banking system.
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