Jobless numbers continue to rise as subsidy wanes

Fri, 17 Jul 2020

At least another 4,500 people joined the ranks of the unemployed in the week to July 10. Figures released on Friday by the Ministry for Social Development show there are 209,608 people receiving Jobseeker benefit or the more generous Covid-19 Income Relief Payment (CIRP). That's an increase of about 17,000 in the space of four weeks. After an initial surge in unemployment in March and into April, numbers settled at about 190,000 through May and into June. In recent weeks they have been increasing steadily at a rate about 4,000 per week...

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