Jobseeker Support- March 2014 quarter

Jobseeker Support (JS) is for people who can usually look or prepare for work. It also includes people who can only work part-time or cannot look for work at the moment, for example because they have a health condition, injury or disability.

Key Facts

At the end of March 2014:

  • 121,953working-age people were receiving Jobseeker Support.
  • 4.4 percent of the working-age population of New Zealand were receiving Jobseeker Support.
  • Jobseeker Support recipients are more likely to be male.
  • 57 percent of recipients of Jobseeker Support had been receiving any benefit continuously for more than one year.

Between March 2013 and March 2014:

  • The number of recipients of Jobseeker Support decreased by 6,831, or 5 percent.
  • There were decreases in benefit receipt across all age groups. The 40-54 year age group had the largest percentage decrease.
  • There were decreases in benefit receipt across all ethnic groups.
  • The percentage of the working-age population in New Zealand receiving Jobseeker Support fell.

Characteristics of working-age recipients of Jobseeker Support, at the end of March2009, 2013 and 2014

Mar-2009 / Mar-2013 / Mar-2014 / Annual change
Jobseeker Support – Work Ready / 60,871 / 70,576 / 65,908 / -4,668 / -7%
Jobseeker Support – Health Condition or Disability (HCD) / 51,015 / 58,208 / 56,045 / -2,163 / -4%
Male / 61,675 / 70,705 / 66,961 / -3,744 / -5%
Female / 50,211 / 58,079 / 54,992 / -3,087 / -5%
NZ European / 49,464 / 55,132 / 51,052 / -4,080 / -7%
Mäori / 33,677 / 42,038 / 41,118 / -920 / -2%
Pacific peoples / 9,178 / 10,022 / 9,310 / -712 / -7%
All other ethnicities* / 16,417 / 18,721 / 17,866 / -855 / -5%
Unspecified ethnicity / 3,150 / 2,871 / 2,607 / -264 / -9%
18-24 / 23,350 / 25,059 / 24,562 / -497 / -2%
25-39 / 30,388 / 31,763 / 30,737 / -1,026 / -3%
40-54 / 36,023 / 43,777 / 40,384 / -3,393 / -8%
55-64 / 22,125 / 28,185 / 26,270 / -1,915 / -7%
Continuous duration on any benefit
One year or less / 59,274 / 53,418 / 53,021 / -397 / -1%
More than one year / 52,612 / 75,366 / 68,932 / -6,434 / -9%
Incapacity groups (for HCD clients)
Psychological or psychiatric condition / 20,456 / 24,650 / 23,545 / -1,105 / -4%
Musculo-skeletal system disorders / 7,459 / 9,121 / 9,211 / 90 / 1%
Accidents / 3,922 / 4,473 / 4,273 / -200 / -4%
Cardio-vascular disorders / 2,924 / 2,945 / 2,746 / -199 / -7%
Pregnancy-related conditions / 1,273 / 1,091 / 894 / -197 / -18%
Other disorders and conditions / 14,981 / 15,928 / 15,376 / -552 / -3%
Total number of recipients of JS / 111,886 / 128,784 / 121,953 / -6,831 / -5%
Percentage of working-age main benefit population receiving JS / 39% / 42% / 41%
Percentage of working-age population receiving JS / 4.2% / 4.7% / 4.4%

* Includes Other Europeans, Asian peoples and Middle Eastern/Latin American/African peoples.

Five-year trend

The number of clients receiving Jobseeker Support at the end of March increased between 2009 and 2010, followed by a decrease over the last four years.

Changes between 2009 and 2014 which have affected the number of clients receiving Jobseeker Support include changed economic conditions. The decrease in JS numbers over the last two years reflects a slowly recovering employment situation and an increased focus by Work and Income on moving job seekers into paid work.

The proportion of the working-age population who were receiving Jobseeker Support at the end of March increased between 2009 and 2011 before decreasing over the last three years.