Keys bald-faced lies | The Jackal

8 Feb 2013

Keys bald-faced lies

Today Stuff reported:

The job market is "shockingly weak", according to some economists, with employment slumping 1 per cent or 23,000 in the December quarter as part-time employment crumbled.

It was the third quarterly fall in total employment and the biggest quarterly drop since early 2009. The fall in jobs hit women hardest - they accounted for 20,000 out of the 23,000 drop in official figures issued yesterday.

John Key said:

It's really difficult for me to comment because the Household Labour Force Survey is notoriously volatile and anything might come out of it but beside the only thing I can reflect on is the Quarterly Employment Survey dated, it was out a few days ago, and what that indicated was there was a pick up in employment, a pick up in full time jobs and an increase in wages.

Here's the video:



Meanwhile the experts say:

But the improvement was not driven by more jobs, but more people moving out of the workforce, either young people staying in school or older people retiring early, in their late 50s.

Deutsche Bank economist Darren Gibbs said at face value the quarterly figures showed a job market that was "shockingly weak" after a 6 per cent fall in part-time work.

The report showed a 50,000 fall in the self-employed in the past year, and a 6500 drop in farm workers.

The unemployment rate fell to 6.9 per cent only because of a big drop in the participation rate to the lowest levels in eight years. The participation rate was down to 67.2 per cent.

So according to the experts and the Household Labour Force Survey there's less employment, the exact opposite of what John Key said... But what about his claims that there's been an increase in manufacturing jobs?

Here's what the actual Household Labour Force Survey (PDF) states:

Within part-time employment, there were annual decreases in the education and training, and the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries – down 8,900 and 6,400, respectively.

For total employment the manufacturing industry had an annual fall – down 17,200.

How those recent statistics miraculously turn into an increase in manufacturing jobs on planet Key is something scientists are yet to explain.

But what I'd really like to know is when will the mainstream media hold the Prime Minister to account for his continuous lying?