You may have seen the news: in its attempts to tackle inflation, the Reserve Bank is going to increase unemployment. The idea can even seem to come right from the mouths of experts, including the bank’s governor, Adrian Orr. Speaking recently to an industry conference, he said: “Returning to low inflation will, in the near Read more
Jobless young people are being given a chance to work in retail through a Hawke’s Bay social enterprise. Jody Hamilton (pictured, left) who founded LIFT Youth Employment says the new initiative aims to connect with and help young people who want to work in retail or have entrepreneurial goals. LIFT’s vision is for 100 percent Read more
Thousands of the 27,000 New Zealanders who ceased receiving the 12-week COVID-19 Income Relief Payments (CIRP) have not returned paid work. The Salvation Army says although the application period for CIRP ended last week, only one in ten people who have finished their CIRP are in work. Some people have been able to transition onto Read more
The economic downturn caused by Covid-19 has had an uneven impact, in part reflecting the unprecedented nature of the crisis. The housing market and many domestic-orientated industries are doing well. And for many households and businesses, the economic downturn has so far had little impact on job security, incomes, or spending. For some, the increased Read more
I spent the early months of the coronavirus pandemic feeling desperately claustrophobic. Quarantined in a one-bedroom apartment in New York, I would sometimes imagine my fire escape was a creaky porch in the woods somewhere as I sat outside in the early evenings, listening to my neighbours’ cheer and bang pots for the essential workers Read more
The incidence of prolonged loneliness for youth increased significantly during the lockdown. For youth aged 15-24 years (General Social Survey) or aged 18-24 years (other surveys), the incidence of prolonged loneliness increased from 5.8% of youth before lockdown to about 20.8% during the lockdown. It fell slightly to 17.0% post-lockdown. These are the findings of Read more
The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) is calling on the Government to not further divide the needy. The call comes in response to the Government’s Income Relief Payment making full-time workers who lost their job because of the economic impact of COVID-19 eligible for tax-free weekly payments of almost $500 a week for a period Read more
Community housing providers are calling on the Government to support both the homeless and the construction sector with permanent housing for the thousands of homeless. Bernie Smith, chief executive of Monte Cecilia Housing Trust, says the Government had spent massive amounts on getting people into emergency housing or motels before the Covid-19 crisis. Read more
Helping poor and jobless people is one of the ways the Catholic Church is planning to help resolve the post-pandemic fallout, Vatican official Father Augusto Zampini says. Helping these people is not a form of socialism, it’s Church teaching. Zampini says the Church’s advocacy for the poor has resulted in some people accusing it of Read more
As countries continue to reel from the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, Pope Francis offered prayers for the men and women who have been unable to work. “In these days, many people have lost their jobs, were not rehired or work off the books. Let us pray for these brothers and sisters of ours Read more