Documents obtained by The Jobs Letter indicate some of the options under discussion by the Cabinet Committee on Education, Training and Employment: The extension of `individualised assistance' to other categories of job seekers; final decisions on new abatement rate schedule for beneficiaries and changes to benefit stand-down provisions; a decision on how local employment co-ordination will take place including whether local employment co-ordinators and facilitators will be appointed; decisions on whether or not to expand the Community Employment Group's (CEG) contestable fund especially to help local community groups develop a "strategic community plan"; decisions on whether to increase the skill level and number of CEG field staff; decisions on increasing the flexibility of criteria for Task Force Green referrals and the NZES Innovation Fund; and a comprehensive package of job strategies aimed at the Maori and Pacific Island communities.

Source - phonecall from Benedicta Jensen, Minister of Employment's Office

also leaked paper Paula Rebstock General Manager of Labour Market Policy Group paper to the Cabinet Committee on Education, Training and Employment 26 June 1995

There were 9,040 notified job vacancies at NZ Employment during August, of which 59% were still unfilled at the end of the month.

There are 16.6 people registered unemployed people for every notified vacancy at NZ Employment.

Source - fax from New Zealand Employment to the Jobs Letter, September 1995

The figures seem to be showing the success of this approach Employment Minister Wyatt Creech says that since January 1994 there has been a 41% fall in the numbers of longer-term unemployed (for more than 2 yrs) with the August figure now standing at 23,115 people. The `word from Wellington' is that officials are considering extending the eligibility criteria of Job Action to people who are less than the current 2-yr unemployment criteria. We may see some news of this in next month's employment package.

Source - The Dominion 15 September 1995 "Registered Jobless decrease continues..."

Roger Lampen believes that the shortages are explained by the economic upturn, and the tightening of the labour market. He says: "Employers are no longer able to attract skilled labour from the unemployment lines. They must instead attract labour that is working for another business, from overseas, or teach untrained labour the skills to do the job.

Source - The Dominion 20 September 1995 "Skill shortage reflects training deficiency

The most common procedures for fostering career development mentioned by employers in the survey were: performance appraisals, further training, advertising positions internally, and internal promotions.

Source - The Dominion 20 September 1995 "Skill shortage reflects training deficiency

Association President Jill Van Angeren says that increases in food and rental costs were reducing the amount people had to spend on food, doctor's bills or other basic expenses. She says the voluntary sector was being forced to respond more with food parcels, emergency housing and other help.

Source - The Dominion 12 September 1995 "Benefit levels too low, says report" by Helen Bain.

Source - City Voice 14 September 1995 "No need for foodbanks".

Source - Jim Bolger "Address to NZ Council of Social Services", Wellington 11 September 1995

Source - The Daily News 14 September 1995 "Marijuana epidemic in the Far North"

The Trust has recently launched its first Starting Small borrower group. In this lending programme, five people (usually friends or members of a local community) form a borrower group. Loans of $500 from the Trust are disbursed two at a time, with the borrower group deciding the order in which members receive them. As well as providing those in the borrower group with an opportunity to support each other in their projects, the group is responsible for administering the loans, meeting small savings targets, and ensuring repayments.

The groups meet weekly in their neighbourhood, and the loans are repaid at $10 a week. Once the loans have been repaid, the members will be eligible for larger loans of $1000, or more. Andrew Scott from Just Dollar$ says that the Starting Small programme is available to anyone on a low income: " It provides a means for them to empower themselves in a supportive group environment..."

For further information: Andrew Scott, Just Dollar$ Trust, P.O.Box 4232, Christchurch 03-366-9978

Source - Fax to the Jobs Research Trust "Just Dollar$ Loans Update 31 August 1995"

" Some people feel that they are missing out on jobs because of age. Most have been conditioned over the years to travel one particular road and they require assistance to change direction. This is what MES was set up to do help people change direction and start again."

Source - Letter to the Jobs Research Trust 12 September 1995

Eichbaum: "There's the idealistic view that there will always be a movable feast of work. That we will move from one kind of `set' to another with a variety of `roles'. That people will be free to make their contribution in different times and in different ways and then the `set' will be taken down and relocated somewhere else... Now that's fine in theory, and for some people in professional occupations it presents as a real opportunity, but for others the threats in terms of economic and job security are enormous."

Eichbaum believes there's a danger in moving towards a work environment where labour is `commodified' like any other factor of production, where it's considered infinitely malleable in terms of time, conditions and output. "But labour, unlike other factors of production, has a capacity for thought and creativity, and an innovative organisation needs to maximise its contribution from labour. You're not going to get that if you treat that contribution as entirely disposable..."

Source - NZ Business August 1995 "Redefining work: Why the job is under threat" by Margie Sullivan

His solution is to use the taxation system to give tax credits to people working less than 32 hours a week. His scheme is aimed at low-income workers and would use the tax-credit system to discourage these people from working when they realised they would get little more in their take-home pay for working longer hours. There would be no financial cost to the employer, and the government would recoup the costs of its tax credits through direct savings on the present costs of unemployment. Chandler says that for every four people who chose the shorter working week, one extra could be employed. "Unemployment - Problems and a Solution" paper by Ken Chandler, P.O.Box 11-060, Hamilton

A Campaign for a Four-Day Week in New Zealand is now active with its patron being Dr Martyn Finlay, Q.C. Contacts: Ken Chandler in Hamilton 07-856-7674, Carol Chambers in Palmerston North 06-357-1498, and John Rhodes in Greytown 06-304-9095.