Why HLFS are the official figures
Numbers on benefits have decreased overall in the last seven years, and that is good. But one has to be very careful about comparisons between years as policy changes, new benefits, make work schemes etc can hide the true level of unemployment etc.
This is why the Household Labour Force Survey is the official measure of unemployment, and is comparable both internationally but also to previous years more easily.
Lindsay Mitchell points out that while the number of 15- 19 year olds on the dole has decreased since 1999 from 15,855 to 1,566, the HLFS records the number of unemployed (out of work, seeking work and available for work) 15 – 19 year olds as having increased from 23,900 in 1999 to 26,100 at the end of 2006.
This is still a minor reduction in percentage terms, but shows that the apparent massive decrease has not happened, just that they are recorded elsewhere in the system.
April 23rd, 2007 at 7:46 pm
It’s no surprise, the welfare budget keeps growing every year and still Labour tell us the numbers are falling. They must think we have rocks in our head.
Just imagine trying to get information like this published before the days of blogs !
April 24th, 2007 at 7:51 am
Placed on a baby siting course run by MOSD.
April 24th, 2007 at 11:46 am
What you talking ’bout Burt?
Aprt from Superannuation, the benefit budget is decreasing:
In nominal terms the cost of non-super benefits in 2006 was $6 billion, in 2003: $6 billion
In real terms, 2006: $6 billion, 2003 $6.7 billion.
In real per capitia terms, in 2006: $1437, 2003: $1662
That’s a 14% decrease in real per capitia expenditure in just four years.
The decreased benefit numbers from 2003 to 2006 saved NZ $2 billion.
I don’t have the figures to go back to 1999, but we know that the trend would continue.
April 24th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Sam, are you comparing apples with apples.
If you feel you can say Yes! ?? then look again with the same insight that Lindsay Mitchell would apply, if you can still say Yes then know that you are a lesser person..
April 24th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Sam
I had this debate over on Jordan’s once.
He claimed the welfare vote in 1999 was $14b and it is $16b today.
You socialists, full of made up figures. He tried to tell me that $16B was a decrease in real terms as well….
I calculated what I called a GBP (Gross beneficiary price) for him. Based on circa 400,000 beneficiaries in 1999 & 280,000 in 2006. This makes an increase from $35,000. (GBP in 1999) to $57,142. (GBP in 2007) an increase of 63%.
http://jtc.blogs.com/just_left/2007/01/the_state_of_so.html#comment-28496704