NZ Benefit Numbers Rocket as Report Says Young People Could Be Welfare Dependent for 20 Years

The rapidly declining New Zealand economy is pushing more people onto welfare.
NZ Benefit Numbers Rocket as Report Says Young People Could Be Welfare Dependent for 20 Years
Illustration by Sandra Mu/Getty Images
Rex Widerstrom
Updated:

New Zealand’s economy—beset by falling GDP, government austerity, and a near-recession caused by the Reserve Bank’s efforts to tame inflation—has seen the number of people receiving benefits exceed Budget forecasts.

At the same time, a new report from the Ministry of Social Development says young people could remain unemployed for as long as 20 years.

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
Author
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.
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