Bayly Andrew: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBayly Andrew: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 11 February 2015. Volume:703;Page:1454. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]4.ANDREW BAYLY (National—Hunua)to the Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment: What reports has he received on employment growth in New Zealand in the last year?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment):Very good reports. Last week the household labour force survey for the December quarter of 2014 was released. It shows employment was up by 1.2 percent or 28000 people in the December quarter. For the year of 2014 80000 more jobs were added to the New Zealand economy. That is an increase of 3.5 percent. That growth continues the trend of recent years. Over the last 2 years 146000 extra new jobs have been added to the New Zealand economy. That is the strongest job growth over 2 years in a decade. In fact 180000 more people are in work than when we came into Government in 2008 despite the global financial crisis. This Government is focused on creating opportunities for investments that grow jobs in the New Zealand economy.Andrew Bayly: What other progress in the labour market did the household labour force survey show?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The survey showed a record high participation in the labour market of 69.7 percent. That is the highest since figures began in 1986. This means that unemployment rose slightly to 5.7 percent despite the strong job growth. It shows more people entering the workforce. It also showed broad-based job growth continuing in a range of regions and industries around the country with 22300 more jobs in Auckland over the year 17400 in the Waikato 15800 in Christchurch 15600 in the Bay of Plenty and 7500 more in Northland. Other highlights included strong growth in wages with hourly wages up 2.6 percent over the year ahead of inflation at 0.8 percent and a continuing improving story for Māori and Pasifika peoples with 10000 more Māori in employment over the year and the unemployment rate for Pasifika people falling 2.5 percent.Andrew Bayly: How does New Zealand’s unemployment rate compare with the OECD average?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: It is an interesting question the member raises given that it was alluded to in the House yesterday. Our unemployment rate of 5.7 percent for quarter 4 is well below the OECD average of 7.2 percent and ranks us as 10th equal. I should note for the House that contrary to some claims made yesterday that New Zealand was No. 1 in the OECD before the global financial crisis 10th is actually exactly the same ranking held in the quarter prior to the global financial crisis commencing in 2008. It is a slightly strange thing. It is also the same as when Labour left office. I would also note that the same member who made this reference in the House yesterday described in a press release last week the situation that we are seeing in New Zealand as a jobless recovery despite the strongest job growth over 2 years that New Zealand has seen in a decade. So I think that member might want to be a bit more careful with his facts.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Exactly how does job growth help the New Zealand people when he and his colleagues dished out approximately 70000 foreign student work visas last year and who is the new work going to—New Zealanders or somebody else?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: It did not take long to bang that drum.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Answer the question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! This is a point of order. I wish to hear it in silence.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Seeing this is a new year you are very loath to tolerate any questioner loading up their questions with such comment. I think that to make sure this year starts off in the right vein he should be stopped in his tracks right now.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member may not have heard but I did immediately stop the Minister and told him to answer the question.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The point I would make to the member is that actually the international students coming to New Zealand create something like 30000 extra jobs in the New Zealand economy on their own—Hon Member: Which they do themselves.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: No. In fact when we have tested that proposition of the member we have found that actually there are more jobs created by having the international students in the New Zealand economy than by the work that they do themselves. So the international education story for New Zealand is a very positive story that creates about $2.85 billion of value in New Zealand on an annual basis.