........................................ So all the new manufacturing jobs, where are they? .......................[/URL]
China probably, or in the global robotics markets, or in high skill fields such as industrial design and engineering. Revenue increases in the manufacturing sector are more likely due to offshoring labour, and other efficiencies. The days of huge NZ factory floors employing unskilled labour are largely gone, and we will never see them again.
That is definitely a problem for those in NZ with low or no skills.
China probably, or in the global robotics markets, or in high skill fields such as industrial design and engineering. Revenue increases in the manufacturing sector are more likely due to offshoring labour, and other efficiencies. The days of huge NZ factory floors employing unskilled labour are largely gone, and we will never see them again.
That is definitely a problem for those in NZ with low or no skills.
Those with low or no skills are in the same boat throughout the western world.
Here are some real export tables which show what has happened in the last year for NZ. Many engineering and standard manufacturing categories have dropped, just like I'd expected. Dairy, beef, wood exports up strongly in dollar value, but mechanical and electrical items, boats etc, down strongly.
Here are some real export tables which show what has happened in the last year for NZ. Many engineering and standard manufacturing categories have dropped, just like I'd expected. Dairy, beef, wood exports up strongly in dollar value, but mechanical and electrical items, boats etc, down strongly.
Oh dear. My previous post just didn't work. Too bad.
And a whole bucket full of David Cunliffes will not change that.
I beg to differ. What I am trying to paint here is a correlation between National being in office, and a decay in the manufacturing sector. There have been about 21 quarters since National got in, late 2008. Surely if they were going to bring us to a brighter future with more high-tech manufacturing and exports, we'd see that in the manufacturing stats. Correct me if I'm wrong. So here is a chart that shows a degradation over those 20 quarters, where up to 50,000 people had to try to get a job somewhere else. On top of that, we had a rising population base. You can see that manufacturing is a big employer, offering lots of FTE jobs (purple line). There are few part-timers or owners in proportion to FTEs (red and green lines).
This is a very poor look for National, can you see them popping this chart up in election year? So I'll do it.
Now National is having to adjust the timeframe for a slender budget surplus, as the tax take stubbornly refuses to meet their budgeted figures.
EZ, you have a closed mind, you think that only manufacturing can offer employment and a high standard of living and rate of growth.
Not so, services and agriculture can do that. Why not just take the best path which the market discloses? If that, at the extreme, means no NZ manufacturing at all who cares if it gives us full employment and a higher standard of living than manufacturing!
Labour in NZ can learn from this statement: Tasmanian Labor has ended the nation's first experiment of Greens in cabinet, conceding power-sharing with the minor party alienates its core supporters, suffocates its messages and must never be repeated.
The Premier of Tasmania & Labor party member Ms Giddings said, caucus had resolved that it would never again have Greens "in cabinet" and would not make "power-sharing deals".
I say let Labour in NZ go ahead and forge that relationship with the Greens and let them find out the hard way as an opposition bi-party, not as the ruling Govt. That way the country wont suffocate under their madness.
You can manufacture anything you like in NZ, from a peanut slicer to a fifty ton truck. You will probably find the skilled staff do the work and you will probably receive all the accolades from politicians and others for your work. The problem is that you will not be able to sell it - unless you can find a bigger fool than you are. The cost of labour here will often be several times that of your competitors, overseas. The cost of raw materials will have the huge handling and transport costs to add to your costs. Maybe the Government will "protect" you from foreign competition, but they can't - the response from the competitors country would be "protection" from imports of milk powder, wool, logs and the like - which are far more important than your peanut slicer. We are part of a world economy where survival demands cheaper and better production of commodities that others need. I don't believe for one minute that a Labour government would disagree with this reality, regardless of the rhetoric from DC the Greens and a few other. And if anyone sees the Labour leadership as stable, look at the speed with which Shane Jones is rising to the top.
You can manufacture anything you like in NZ, from a peanut slicer to a fifty ton truck. You will probably find the skilled staff do the work and you will probably receive all the accolades from politicians and others for your work. The problem is that you will not be able to sell it - unless you can find a bigger fool than you are. The cost of labour here will often be several times that of your competitors, overseas. The cost of raw materials will have the huge handling and transport costs to add to your costs. Maybe the Government will "protect" you from foreign competition, but they can't - the response from the competitors country would be "protection" from imports of milk powder, wool, logs and the like - which are far more important than your peanut slicer. We are part of a world economy where survival demands cheaper and better production of commodities that others need. I don't believe for one minute that a Labour government would disagree with this reality, regardless of the rhetoric from DC the Greens and a few other. And if anyone sees the Labour leadership as stable, look at the speed with which Shane Jones is rising to the top.
You are so right. On the Shane Jones point - he's a list MP, so he obviously will have to unseat Cunliffe very soon, or he might just not be on the list come the election. So he is either playing a very dangerous game, or he has carefully weighed his support within the ranks and knows exactly what he is doing.
Of course there is always the possibility of jumping to Winston 1st. Peters won't be around much longer, so Jones could inherit a ready made party if he wants to.
Originally Posted by elZorro
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