If National wins ...

[craic]

My point is, or was that 4% is about the point where you are not dealing with lack of work or opportunity, you are dealing with people who are not that motivated. The horse that you lead to water but doesn't want to drink.

[slimwin]

Yes labour is mobile, but it has to want to move too. We're importing workers from overseas for basic labour tasks in ChCh. While around NZ people would rather stay at home unemployed. And $17-22 ph with plenty of evertime should do it. It's not that cold down here...

[Sgt Pepper]

My point is, or was that 4% is about the point where you are not dealing with lack of work or opportunity, you are dealing with people who are not that motivated. The horse that you lead to water but doesn't want to drink.

Craic
there is active discrimination in many organisations against hiring anyone over 50. A friend of mine knew a manager ( large retailer who advertises frequently on TV,) confirmed to him they had an unofficial policy of not hiring retail staff who were over 40!!

[Harvey Specter]

Yes labour is mobile, but it has to want to move too. We're importing workers from overseas for basic labour tasks in ChCh. While around NZ people would rather stay at home unemployed. And $17-22 ph with plenty of evertime should do it. It's not that cold down here...

I'll disagree with that. It is cold down there.

But with a $3,000 hand up to help young people move to where the jobs are, National are on the right track.

National are also selling state houses in areas where there are no jobs and building more where there are jobs - this should also help the poverty cycle by helping people help themselves into employment.

ONe thing that is missing is incentives for regional jobs - places like Whangarei and Hawkes Bay are lovely places to live but need more jobs - more call centres, regional processing centres, government back office etc.

[fungus pudding]

Craic
there is active discrimination in many organisations against hiring anyone over 50. A friend of mine knew a manager ( large retailer who advertises frequently on TV,) confirmed to him they had an unofficial policy of not hiring retail staff who were over 40!!

Of course there is. Always will be. What's your point?

[elZorro]

Manufacturing jobs are another very good way of offering job opportunities to a range of people. They are flexible, can be close to existing residential areas, don't take up much space or resources, can often be exporters. Staff can be trained into these jobs quickly and easily, if a good safe setup is in place. These are the jobs National has not been looking after, they only have themselves to blame if the tax take isn't where it should be, and unemployment is stubbornly higher than it was when Labour were in (4% average for five years, according to David Cunliffe this morning).

[artemis]

Manufacturing jobs are another very good way of offering job opportunities to a range of people. They are flexible, can be close to existing residential areas, don't take up much space or resources, can often be exporters. Staff can be trained into these jobs quickly and easily, if a good safe setup is in place. These are the jobs National has not been looking after, they only have themselves to blame if the tax take isn't where it should be, and unemployment is stubbornly higher than it was when Labour were in (4% average for five years, according to David Cunliffe this morning).

Great idea. It's a good thing this is happening already according to the December 2013 official stats.

After adjusting for seasonal effects, the volume of total manufacturing sales rose 5.7 percent, with meat and dairy product manufacturing sales up 15 percent.

http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_...RDec13qtr.aspx

[slimwin]

So 4% unemployment in boom times, 6 % in the GFC compared to 20's overseas. Where is the argument against the country doing well there?
Ok, HS. Maybe it's a litte cold down here but my Scottish ancestory refuses to accept it. And besides the bars are very warm!

[craic]

Craic
there is active discrimination in many organisations against hiring anyone over 50. A friend of mine knew a manager ( large retailer who advertises frequently on TV,) confirmed to him they had an unofficial policy of not hiring retail staff who were over 40!!

What about Mitre 10 Mega locally where the policy seems to be to hire no one under 70? I noticed that Bunnings were in the same league on the weekend.

[Cuzzie]

A very real problem for Labour to get unemployment down to 4% is the Greens. They will handbrake forestry, farming and mining for a start. The fishing industry will be in their sights too. All the oil & gold corps can pack up and go home. The White Gold will dry up & they will all have to look at goat farming. Maybe we can all make solo panels and turn Amish, but wait - we wont be able to grow our own veges soon, well not with your own seeds. Monsanto have a copyright on that.
Then you would have Peters going over board giving the olds jobs and buying more votes. To top it all off, Labour has opposed everything National has done in the last two terms to get unemployment back on track. National has reduced unemployment so if Labour wants to do the opposite of that, what does that mean?

The Government is doing a great job right now, it's not broke so don't fix it. Change the Govt. & we will all be broke!!!