Policy Area: Employment

Statement of General Direction:

• The key objectives of the National-New Zealand First Government's employment policy will be reducing the percentage of job seekers who are long term unemployed, and involving job seekers while they are unemployed in part-time community work and training. Regions will be given greaterinfluence over how these and other employment goals are met.
• It is accepted that as a general principle, it is economic policy, as distinct from employment policy, that determines the numbers of employed.

Key Initiatives of Policy:

Introduce programmes over the term of the Parliament that require registered unemployed to undertake a prescribed level of work or training in return for the unemployment benefit by replacing the unemployment benefit with an equivalent community wage or training allowance. The first priority for the programme will be addressing long term unemployment.

Accept in principle the integration of the New Zealand Employment Service, the unemployment benefit division of the New Zealand Income Support Service, the Community Employment Group and the Training Opportunities Programme's (TOPs) resources of the Education and Training Support Agency into one Employment Service. Other employment focused resources may also be absorbed. Whether this is a standalone service or part of the Department of Social Welfare shall be considered as options.

To assist in the development of a more regionally driven approach to achieving employment policy objectives, Regional Employment Commissioners will be established. The Regional Commissioners will be responsible for producing Regional Employment Plans. They will be advised by Regional Employment Committees.

The main outcomes sought by this approach will be on reducing the percentage of long term unemployed, and maximising the involvement of jobseekers in suitable part-time community work or training.

Fiscal Implications of this Policy Agreement:

(All funding proposals subject to being considered within the agreed spending policy parameters.)

Legislative Implications of this Policy Agreement: