What is the Government doing about this – and what are the oppositions ideas?

The Household Labour Force survey is out.

There are now 159,000 officially unemployed in New Zealand. That's not including those whose benefits are suspended.

There are now 43,000 more people out of work than there were in November 2008.

Nearly 100,000 people are unemployed but are not receiving a benefit.

21% of those on benefits are caring for children under 6.

30.6% of recipients are aged 18 – 24 years.

34% of beneficiaries are Maori.

Maori unemployment is at 16.4% ( up from 15.4 % in February) and Pacific unemployment is at 14.1%, both big increases from 12.6% and 12.8% respectively a year ago.

At the end of June this year, 333,000 working age people were on main social security benefits - an increase of 75,000.

45,000 of them are teenagers.

19,000 people lost their jobs in the past three months.

In the last three months 7000 people have given up looking for work and have dropped out of the labour force.

The number of those on benefits has increased 29% in the 2 years ending June. That's one in three extra beneficiaries.

That's not including the "hidden unemployed" -the students, those whose partners work, those who work part time but want to work full time.

And the chances that you are one of the above is the highest since 1999.

What’s worse, there are now 255,700 jobless (either unemployed, not ‘actively’ seeking work, or not able to start work immediately).