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Social agencies say northern communities are feeling the economic pinch of Covid-19 as unemployment figures spike upwards.
Figures from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) show that the number of people on the Jobseekers Support benefit in Warkworth was 26 per cent higher in June compared to same time last year.
In the Kaipara office (Dargaville), the figure is 36 per cent higher, and in the Orewa office there has been an increase of 38 per cent.
Helensville is among the worst hit with an increase of 52 per cent, with figures having steadily increased since Covid-19 first hit the headlines in March.
Overall, Rodney had 1779 people receiving the Jobseeker Support benefit in the April to June quarter.
The total number of people receiving any benefit in Rodney is 3239. It’s the highest number in five years, up from an average of 2160.
In Rodney, the largest number of unemployed are aged 25 to 39 (554), closely followed by those aged 40 to 54 (494).
In the Kaipara District, there are more people aged 55 plus seeking support (312) than those aged 25 to 39 (286).
Social agencies across Rodney and Kaipara say they have noticed the effects of these figures and are bracing for when the wage subsidy runs out.
Irene Rockell, of the Loaves and Fishes foodbank in Wellsford, says she has spoken to a number of young families where the main income provider has lost their job.
“Quite a few are young parents with small babies and so the mother generally isn’t working. They are the ones that have been hit hard,” she says.
Loaves and Fishes is delivering 32 fruit and vegetable parcels a week and around 50 of its pantry parcels each month.
Kate’s Place coordinator Kirstie Brown says in Kaiwaka, the community has been fortunate to have casual horticultural work that comes up at this time of year. This has kept down unemployment numbers for those who are young and fit.
Quentin Jukes, of Homebuilders Family Support Services in Warkworth, says the current trend is for employees to be given temporary work contracts or to have had their work hours reduced. This means communities struggle, but it doesn’t show up in the statistics.
He says Homebuilder’s youth counselling service has seen a big increase in demand with school leavers anxious about their future.
“The world is in a state of dramatic change and there are no clear answers for what the future may hold, so it’s understandable,” he says.
National job listing site Seek released figures last month that gave reason for cautious optimism.
Advertising listings for jobs were up 47 per cent in June, compared to May.
By mid-July, listings in the Auckland region were at 51 per cent of pre-lockdown levels, but only 42 per cent of the level at this time last year.
Industries with month-on-month improved listings are retail (+118 per cent), trades and services (+69 per cent) and manufacturing and logistics (+65 per cent).
In July, the Government announced that it was creating 20,000 jobs nationally with its $3 billion infrastructure fund.
The impact will be known when MSD publishes unemployment figures in October.
