Reti Shane: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeReti Shane: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 18 March 2015. Volume:704;Page:2348. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]5.Dr SHANE RETI (National—Whangarei) to the Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment: What reports has he received on job growth in New Zealand?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment): I have received a number of positive reports highlighting strong job growth across New Zealand. Today’s Jobs Online report is just the latest. It was released by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment and shows that skilled job vacancies advertised online were up nearly 6 percent in the past year to February. This follows the recent household labour force survey which highlighted that 80000 new jobs have been added to New Zealand’s workforce in the previous year with 180000 more people in work now than when we came into Government in 2008. This highlights that the Government is focused on the issues that matter to Kiwi families. Our economic policies are encouraging business investment right across New Zealand and it is this investment that leads to more jobs and higher wages for New Zealanders.Dr Shane Reti: How is job growth in the Northland region compared with the rest of the economy?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The most recent household labour force survey statistics showed that 7500 new jobs were added in the Northland region in the last year which is an impressive 11.1 percent growth rate. To put this growth in perspective the entire country grew 80000 jobs last year so the Northland region generated nearly 10 percent of those. Even more impressive is that of those 7500 new jobs 6600 of them—or nearly 90 percent—were full time with the balance part-time roles. Nobody is saying the job in Northland is done but we are making very good progress.Grant Robertson: In the light of that answer can he confirm that his much-trumpeted figure of 7500 new jobs in the Northland electorate turns out to include not only ones where people were employed for 1 hour a week but also thousands of jobs that are not even in the Northland electorate or are his ghost jobs just joining his ghost roads in Northland?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The member needs to do his work. The figures as has been clear since they were first released relate to the Northland region. We have been very clear that they are for the Northland region. It is about the Northland economy which is now strongly growing under this Government. As for those jobs that he refers to of 1 hour a week or more I should clarify—he obviously did not listen to the previous answer—that 6600 of those jobs are reported by Statistics New Zealand to be full-time jobs. The member should be careful which commentator he reads.Dr Shane Reti: What reports has he received on the types of roles the 7500 new jobs in the Northland region are?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The household labour force survey data shows the increase of 7500 new jobs in the Northland region in the last year are from a broad range of occupations including a 3500 increase in managerial roles a 1800 increase in technicians and trade workers a 1600 increase in sales workers a 1000 increase in clerical and administrative workers a 300 increase in machinery operators and drivers a 200 increase in labourers offset by decreases in professionals and community and personal service workers. Overall it is encouraging to see positive signs of a turn-round under this Government in the Northland region.