Wage subsidies paid out hits $9.9b – Robertson

Paul McBeth
Fri, 17 Apr 2020

Businesses have been paid $9.9 billion to help cover the cost of 1.6 million workers, which Finance Minister Grant Robertson says has helped limit the increase in new welfare claims.The government rolled out the wage subsidy package on March 17, paying firms a lump sum for 12 weeks, which Robertson said got money into people’s bank accounts faster than similar schemes overseas. That has helped limit the increase in job seeker benefits claims to 23,000, he said. Robertson was standing in for the Prime Minister at the daily press briefing, a...

Try us for 10 days free

Each day we publish 10 to 20 originally-reported news stories on New Zealand business and the political economy.

You also get:

Instant alerts based on any keywords you choose.
A custom library of your saved stories.
An industry-leading search engine

After your trial subscriptions cost $24 a month or $249 a year.

If you don’t like our news service, we make it easy to quit with our one-button cancel.

Find out more

Opinion

JEHAN CASINADER: Black lives matter – but changing your Facebook photo does not

Jehan Casinader | Sat, 06 Jun 2020

My Facebook timeline is a sea of black. During the week, many of my friends posted photos of empty black squares, to express their anger at the brutal killing of Minneapolis man George Floyd.The idea...

Markets

Is the art market covid-proof? Well, just maybe

Pattrick Smellie | Sat, 06 Jun 2020

Wellington art auction house Dunbar Sloane marked the end of an era this week, bringing the hammer down - or in this case, an HB pencil clasped in the left hand of veteran auctioneer Anthony Gallagher...

Listed Companies

BRIAN GAYNOR: Colin Neal – taking the NZX by storm

Brian Gaynor | Fri, 05 Jun 2020

Who is Colin Neal, the former Big Chill owner who sold out to Freightways and is now charging like a bull through the NZX? Neal has gone from refrigerated transport to brewing and restaurants to st...