The figures show that 144,000 people were unemployed at the end of December 5,000 higher than in September and 18,000 higher than at the same time last year.

Statistics NZ says that the rise in unemployed is almost entirely an increase in female unemployment (up 6,000). The level of male unemployment remained relatively steady over the last quarter.

Part-time employment however has increased by 9,000 over the quarter and 11,000 over the year.

Source _ Hot of the Press 4 February 1999 from Statistics NZ figures from HLFS for December 1998; press statements 4 February 1999 from Steve Maharey, Jim Anderton, Peter Mcardle and Statistics NZ; speech from jenny Shipley 4 February 1999 "PM - The Year Ahead" Auckland Chamber Of Commerce Carlton Hotel, Auckland 8.10am Thursday 4 February 1999

"I want to see that people are secure in every aspect of their lives. That means the security of having a job. The security of knowing that if you work hard, you'll earn more.

"Our economy has grown by 37% since 1991. There is a bigger cake for us all to share and less people excluded from the workforce.

"The worst fate that can befall any citizen is to be unemployed to stand locked outside the gates of prosperity. But since 1990 unemployment has fallen from 10.9% to 7.4%.

"You, the businesses of New Zealand, have seized the opportunity and created new jobs for New Zealanders. There are now more than 220,000 more jobs in our country than there were in 1991.

"That's half the jobs in the Auckland region. Or more than all the jobs in Canterbury and Otago.

"I'm proud that every week since 1991, 600 New Zealanders have found new full time jobs.

"In the 80s, Labour put people on benefits. We're putting people in jobs ...

"Sometimes, in the passion and urgency of fixing the New Zealand economy, we risked losing sight of the goal. It sometimes appeared as if a healthy GDP, a decent surplus, were their own rewards.

"Of course, having a larger economy, a bigger cake to share, and paying our way are worthy aims.

"But we must keep our eyes fixed on the real reward. The economy is about people being better off. We use prosperity to deliver the security New Zealanders demand. That is the deal ..."
--PM Jenny Shipley "The Year Ahead" speech to the Auckland Chamber Of Commerce Carlton Hotel, Auckland 4 February 1999

Those with children under five years will have to attend an annual planning meeting to discuss their work goals.
-- those with children 6-14 yrs have to seek part-time work (15 hrs) and may be liable for the work-for-the-dole scheme
--those with children over 14 yrs must seek full-time work (30 hrs) and are also liable for the work-for-the-dole scheme
-- parents of children aged 5-14 yrs can get a small subsidy (ranging from 70c to $1.80 and hour) for after-school and holiday childcare.

Source _ New Zealand Herald I February 1999 "Govt spreads work-for-dole net today" by Deborah Diaz

Before the changes, any DPB or Widows Benefit recipient moving into full time work had their benefit abated at 30 cents. From February 1st, benefits will now be abated at 70 cents, (or, for every dollar earned before tax, seventy cents will be deducted from a benefit).

He calculates that when income tax rates are included, women on the DPB and on the Widows Benefit who find part-time work will pay marginal tax rates of 92 cents in the dollar. Abatement of Accommodation Supplement and repayment of Student Loans push the effective marginal tax rates for many women in this category as high as $1.30 for every extra dollar earned.

Gillon says that before the changes were approved, the Cabinet was informed that "an estimated 4,646 DPBs/WBs would lose, on average, $26 per week in abated benefit." The official papers reveal that the cabinet was advised by Social Welfare that "this will provide a disincentive to take up paid employment, which creates a risk of perverse employment outcomes and may compromise the Government's strategy to improve outcomes for sole parents and their families..."

Gillon: "Back in 1996, abatement levels were reduced and the number of women receiving income from other sources increased by 19%. About 22% of women on the DPB now have other incomes, whereas 17-18% had other incomes in 1994. That says the previous policy was working. Now the Government has reversed a successful policy and penalising women for finding work..."

Source _ Press Release from Grant Gillon and Alliance Party 31 January 1999 "5000 Widows and DPB recipients to lose $26 a week"

WINZ Minister Roger Sowry says the NZ government is not planning any similar get-tough moves. He says that WINZ already funds literacy and numeracy courses, and does not believe that a punitive approach is required. Government last year announced a $19.5m programme to ensure all nine-year-olds have skills in reading, writing and arithmetic. It also spends more than $3m a year on adult literacy programmes.

The penalties: The first breach will be penalised by an 18% dole cut for six months. A further breach will bring a 24% cut for another six months, and a third breach would result in total removal of the benefit for eight weeks.

The Howard announcement has angered many in Australia, with opponents saying it makes young people scapegoats for the failure of the education system, and that it will discriminate against non-English speakers.

Source _ The Dominion 2 February 1999 "Literacy-based dole cuts not for NZ, says Sowry" by Helen Bain; The Australian 29 January 1999 "Learn to read or lose dole" by Richard Mcgregor and Ian Henderson

He quotes the 1995 OECD Adult Literacy Survey which showed that 23.7% of American adults are at the lowest level of document literacy lower than the level at which one is capable of accurately completing an employment application.

Dilworth: "Unfortunately, such drastic limitations are characteristic of 20-25% of American workers in manufacturing, agriculture, mining, construction, transportation, and hospitality industries. Their work is greatly affected. In responding to the literacy survey, workers said they're often called on to read letters or memos, consult manuals, read diagrams, deal with bills and invoices, or follow instructions for medicines or recipes. These are the same tasks the survey found many to be incapable of handling ..."

Source _ Christian Science Monitor 25 January 1999 "Pushing up wages pushes low-skill workers out" by Thomas K. Dilworth

Contact Leslie Taylor, Workshape, 30 Chequers Ave, Hamilton phone 07 855 8053 fax 07 855 8003 email workshape@xtra.co.nz

Source _ Leslie Taylor of Labour Market News

Source _ Adapted from Max Eggert's "The Book of Career Questions" Arrow Business Books

Contact Gateway Lobbyskills, PO Box 24-124, Manners St, Wellington, New Zealand phone 04-802-4640 email deirdre@clear.net.nz

Source _ Diedre Kent flyer

Organisers say their main goal is to get online the relevant information that community groups can use. The organisers: "While there is a huge amount of information available on the internet, it can be time consuming and confusing to find what you need. In other instances, the practical information community groups need has not been on internet. Our website is a way to sort and share information and to make sure relevant information is available..."

You can visit the website at http://www.community.net.nz

Source _ communitynet aotearoa

Source _ Judy Reinken, statistics based on 1996 Census of Population and Dwellings

Source Newsweek 1 January 1999 "Your Next Job" by Daniel McGinn and John McCormick

These figures don't include the 130 million rural unemployed who are usually ignored when official statistics were counted. If these people were taken into account, China's jobless rate would be above 17%.

Chinese leaders fear unrest in the once-cosseted state factories which are now laying off millions of workers to cope with free-market reforms. The government already has laid off more than 10 million workers and plans to cut 6 million more jobs in 1999.

Retired and laid-off workers frequently stage protests in major cities, sometimes blocking roads and railways, or sitting in at their places of work in protest at their employers' failure to pay them. China does not allow any trade unions or labour organisations other than those sanctioned by the Communist Party.

Media reports from China say that, in recent months, there has been a sharp crackdown on dissent. Local governments have also been ordered to allot enough money to care for those out of work. Mo Rong, an employment expert at a think-tank under the Chinese Ministry of Labour and Social Security, has called on the government to "take significant action" to stimulate job creation. Mo urges greater reliance on labour-intensive enterprises, building small businesses and promoting development of smaller cities and towns.

Source _ AP correspondent in Beijing, 18 January 1999

" Young people have a responsibility to get themselves job-ready, and to be job-ready you have to be literate. It is a case of a carrot and a stick. If you have a right to accept taxpayer support if you are out of a job, then you have a responsibility in return to do whatever you can to get a job. If people refuse to help themselves, that's where sanctions come in..."
-- Muriel Newman, ACT NZ welfare spokeswoman

" Getting tough doesn't solve the problem all you get is an illiterate person with no money. This smacks of the general philosophy that anyone on a benefit is a useless bludger and we'll just have to smack them harder..."
-- Steve Maharey, Labour welfare spokesman