6. Question No. 6—Social Development and EmploymentANGIE WARREN-CLARK (Labour) to the Minister for Social Development and EmploymentQuestion No. 6—Social Development and Employment6. ANGIE WARREN-CLARK (Labour) to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What updates has she seen on Flexi-wage?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development and Employment): The success of the Government's Flexi-wage expansion continues with over 8000 employers supporting over 21500 people into jobs; 37 percent of participants identified as Māori and 13 percent as Pacific. Through Flexi-wage employers have been able to get a wage contribution for 24 weeks at $276 a week totalling $6624 or 36 weeks at $206 per week totalling $9936. In addition the Ministry of Social Development can provide further training and ongoing support—particularly if a person has complex or specific needs—into work. It's been one of the many ways we've supported people into jobs as well as employers to scale up their businesses giving them the confidence to get back on their feet.Angie Warren-Clark: How has Flexi-wage supported people off benefit and into work?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Of those on benefit for two-plus years at referral 90 percent are current have completed or finished early and are not currently on benefit. On Monday I visited a Flexi-wage employer and met one worker who had been on benefit for 25 years but through Flexi-wage was supported into a job and is loving it. It's stories like these which really reinforce how lives can be transformed through interventions and tools that our Government has put in place to support people particularly as we come out the other end of COVID and support families at the same time with the cost of living.Angie Warren-Clark: Why does Flexi-wage continue to be an important part of New Zealand's economic recovery?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: If there's one lesson we've been able to take from COVID-19 it's been that our deliberate approach to targeted support and programmes is successful in getting people into jobs and keeping them off benefit as well as securing our economic recovery. It's a tool that is also helping to meet skills and workforce shortages and employ jobseekers in many different sectors including construction retail agriculture forestry fishing and food services. We need to continue building the skills of the people moving into the workforce especially Māori and Pacific parents and carers disabled people and people with health conditions. Flexi-wage sits alongside a suite of employment interventions and is part of an economic recovery and plan that leaves no one behind.Angie Warren-Clark: What other evidence has she seen that shows Flexi-wage has supported our economic recovery?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Flexi-wage has been one of the many interventions that has contributed to a record-low or near - record-low unemployment rate of 3.3 percent and a record-high participation rate of 71.7 percent. An extra 35000 people were employed in the quarter leading to a record-high number of 2.85 million people in work and jobseeker work-ready numbers continue to fall quarter on quarter. We know that many people are doing it tough in the face of cost of living pressures but with the support of paid work expanded childcare assistance an extension to our fuel tax cut and reduced road-user charges we're easing the pressure on families. As we've always said our job is far from over but we're certainly making progress.