'Positive signs' despite dole numbers rising, says Bennett

Paula Bennett is putting positive spin on the rising unemployment figures. Photo / Mark Mitchell

While the number of people on benefits is rising, there are some positive signs that government efforts to blunt the pain are working, says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

The latest statistics show 59,151 people on the dole, while the total number on a welfare benefit has increased to 323,160.

Of those, 106,640 were on the DPB, 55,913 on the sickness benefit and 84,902 on the invalid's benefit, with the remainder on other working age benefits.

Labour's Social Development spokeswoman Annette King said the Government's programmes to alleviate job losses had not worked as there were now 48,555 more people on benefits than when National took office.

Ms Bennett said today it appeared Labour had just woken up to the fact that New Zealand had been in a recession for more than a year and during such times benefit numbers went up.

"From day one this National-led Government has been focused on those needing our help. That's why we introduced ReStart -- a targeted programme to help people who have been made redundant. It was obviously never intended to prevent job losses," Ms Bennett said.

Youth unemployment initiatives had already resulted in employers taking up nearly 1000 subsidised positions for young people, she said.

"In addition to that, our 'triage' rate in the last week of August was 32.4 per cent, up from 29.3 per cent four weeks ago. That means people who thought they would need to go on a benefit are generally finding work and not needing state assistance.

"In that same week, there were 851 new vacancies listed at Work and Income, up from 728 for the same week last year. That tells us that jobs are still out there."

Work and Income had boosted staff numbers by 300 to deal with the extra work

"We are also seeing the average number of New Zealanders joining the unemployment benefit each week has slowed from a high of 1300 two months ago to about 900."

- NZPA