7 May 2004
Since this time last year, NZ wages rose on average 2.2%, while inflation rose 1.6%.
The New Zealand Herald says that despite the tight labour market, inflationary pressures from wage rises and
job gains were "mild".
The Australian Budget lifts the minimum wage 4.2% to $467.40 per week.
The CanberraTimes reports a leaked document suggests the Australian Federal government is
considering an overhaul of income support payments that would abolish the distinctions between the
unemployment, parenting, and disability benefits in favour of a single payment for all working age
beneficiaries.
Since last year, the US economy has had a net increase in the number of domestic information
technology jobs. The small upturn (20,000 new jobs in four months) comes after a three-year slump that
saw more than one million tech jobs disappear from the US.
10 May 2004
The US unemployment rate drops from 5.7% to 5.6% as the economy adds 288,000 jobs.
11 May 2004
The government mounts a $40m campaign to win back the country's share of the international
student market.
The US Reserve Bank governor Alan Greenspan tells the Bush administration and the Congress that
the current government spending deficit threatens the US economy.
13 May 2004
Nearly one-third of NZ'ers are on arrangements where part of their pay is tied to performance
targets, according to Kelly Services.
The Australian unemployment rate stays at 5.6% after the economy adds 56,000 jobs in April.
The Australian Security Intelligence Service is to hire 1,000 new staff.
14 May 2004
A 27-year-old Korean man is hired after he runs 470km from Seoul to Ulsan in nine days, to show
his keenness to get an apprenticeship at Hyundai Heavy Industries. At 8.8%, Korean youth
unemployment (15 - 29 years) is two-and-a-half times the overall Korean average.
16 May 2004
Anticipating a reduction in its hoki fishing quota, fishing company Sanford sells a freezer boat,
resulting in 60 lost jobs.
A Hastings plumbing firm, JJ O'Connor, received no responses when they advertised for
tradesmen plumbers and now has engaged two tradesmen who are emigrating from England.
18 May 2004
Almost all of about 50 Community Employment Group (CEG) funded projects, that Minister
Steve Maharey previously said had not met their objectives, actually did. Maharey says he is now confident he is getting accurate information from CEG.
National MP Katherine Rich suspects that CEG had "miraculously redefined" the outcomes. Rich:
"It's all too convenient so many projects have suddenly become okay."
Operations are being cancelled at Palmerston North Hospital because it is short of 20 nurses in
acute services.
US presidential hopeful John Kerry makes reversing the net loss in the country's jobs a cornerstone
of his election campaign.
19 May 2004
If the government places a levy on carbon issues on the cement industry, NZ cement manufacturers
will find it very difficult to compete with overseas products, according to Holcim Ltd. Director Rex
Williams says that if the levy is used to help the government meet its Kyoto protocol commitment, there is
plenty of overseas competition to fill the void. Williams: "The simple fact is that if we don't produce the
cement in NZ, it will be produced overseas. There will be just as much carbon produced there as there
would be here."
Accommodation for vineyard workers in Marlborough is becoming a major problem as 20% more
land has been put into grapes and the industry is in need of 1,500 workers for the harvest. At the same
time, some motorcamps are turning longer-term vineyard workers away in favour of accommodating
holiday-makers.
More than $3 million is yet to be distributed to flood victims in Manawatu and Wanganui. $2.7
million has already been distributed.
20 May 2004
NZ company Fisher & Paykel Healthcare is set to expand its workforce by about 10% or 100 people.
24 May 2004
Manukau City had a growth rate of 5.7% over 2003. Over 7,500 jobs, as well as 500 new or
relocated businesses were added to the local economy.
About 80% of the 360 overseas teachers that have been recruited to work in NZ since 2001
either have, or are applying for, permanent residency.
25 May 2004
A Massey University poll of professional NZ'ers living overseas finds that nearly half of them intend
to return to NZ to live. More than a quarter will stay in their adopted countries, and the rest are
undecided.
The first Tararua District farmers who suffered losses during the February floods receive payouts
from the district's Mayoral Flood Relief Fund.
26 May 2004
Closure of the Sunbeam electric blanket factory in Palmerston North will see 122 people lose
their jobs. The company is shifting its production to China.
Minister of Social Development and Employment Steve Maharey has told the Secondary
Principals' Association that the key factor that indicates that a young person is at risk of not making a
successful transition from school to work seems to be that they hold low or no qualifications. Young
people are also at increased risk the longer they spend outside of work, education or training. Maharey
says that young people who are not in education or employment are likely to become an increasing
issue over the next decade as a looming "baby blip'" cohort reaches 15 - 19 years of age. An
increasing proportion of these young people are of Maori and Pacific origin, groups which already have
higher rates of non-participation in education and employment than other ethnic groups.
In his recent Budget reply speech, Australian opposition leader Mark Latham announced
that Labor Party policy now includes a "Youth Guarantee" which would provide education, work
and training opportunities to all young Australians. Aimed at tackling high levels of youth
unemployment, Labor would give young people two options: learning or earning, with "no third option of sitting
around doing nothing". Latham says a Labor government would provide additional work and training
opportunities for young people who would be obliged to take them up.
Recruiting more women into "stereotypical male" occupations is the answer to skills
shortages, according the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) in Britain. Its investigation into gender
segregation in work and training reveals that women are under-represented in key areas including
construction, where they make up just 1% of the workforce. While the gender gap has closed to virtual parity in
high-status professional sectors, the percentage of women going into building, plumbing, engineering
and information technology has barely altered in the past ten years.