The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Kiwis hard, with unemployment reaching 5.1%—a four-year high.
“This is what happens when the Government chooses to slash funding for frontline services, cut public sector jobs, and undermine economic stability,” Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said.
“Christopher Luxon’s coalition of chaos continues to plunge New Zealand deeper into recession. Their cuts have devastated the job market, and now 33,000 more Kiwis are unemployed in just the past year.
“They promised a better economy, but all we’ve seen is an economic downturn, rising unemployment, and the sharpest recession, excluding COVID-19, in 30 years—all of which happened under National’s watch.
“If the Government was serious about economic growth, it would reverse its cuts and take immediate action to stabilise the job market. That means investing in public services, infrastructure, and climate initiatives that create jobs, not axing funding for schools, hospitals, and public housing.
“Labour’s focus is on rebuilding an economy that works for all Kiwis. The Government has had more than a year to deliver results, and instead it has chosen to hand out $2.9 billion to landlords and $216 million to tobacco companies, while families are left struggling to pay the bills. It’s time for leadership that invests in jobs, skills, and the future, not cuts and excuses,” Barbara Edmonds said.
