11. Unemployment Rate—StatisticsHon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister of EmploymentUnemployment Rate—Statistics11. Hon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister of Employment: Was the unemployment rate 4.9 percent when he was sworn in as Minister as he stated on Newshub Nation on Saturday 1 September?Hon WILLIE JACKSON (Minister of Employment): Malo e lelei Mr Speaker. I thank the member for the question. I was happily mistaken when I said it was 4.9 percent on Newshub Nation. I've now been advised that at the time I was sworn in as the Minister of Employment the official annual rate for unemployment was actually 5 percent.Hon Paula Bennett: Is the Minister certain that the unemployment rate when he was sworn in was at—what did he just say?—5 percent and not actually at 4.6 percent?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: I'm actually absolutely certain that the annual rate was 5 percent. What the member needs to understand is that there are annual rates and there are quarterly rates. It's easy to cherry-pick figures to suit the narrative. But you cannot argue: since this Government came into office the official annual rate of unemployment has dropped from 5 percent in June 2017 to 4.5 percent in June 2018.Hon Paula Bennett: So can we expect the Minister to continue cherry-picking numbers as he put it instead of putting the actual facts on the table and being across his portfolio?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: That's a sad question. I'm absolutely across this portfolio. We're putting in a lot of investment. We shouldn't get caught up in the 0.1 0.2 0.3 percent. It's about the people—the people sadly that the Opposition forgot all about. The member Bennett the member Goldsmith and all the members on the opposite side—SPEAKER: Order! Order! That's enough. The member will resume his seat.Hon Paula Bennett: So when he said he had taken the number of NEETs—those not in employment education or training—from 80000 down to 72000 did he know it was actually 76000 when he came into office increasing of course to 83000 in March this year and if so does he know what the number is now?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Here we go again talking about the figures. We're very clear that the latest survey has been the best survey for a number of years. We have more Māori being employed we have more women being employed and the NEETs have gone down much more than it ever did with the Opposition.Jamie Strange: Malo e laumalie. What other statistics did the Minister discuss on Newshub Nation on Saturday 1 September?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: What a great question. I discussed the unemployment rates of Māori of Pasifika and of young people not engaged in education employment or training as well and I'm proud to share that with the House today. This Government is making a difference for the key groups. Māori unemployment is now 9.4 percent down from 11.1 this time last year and the Māori employment rate is up to 63.9 percent from 61.3 percent. Pasifika unemployment is now 8.6 percent down from 10.2 percent in the same period and the employment rate is now up to 60.9 percent. The NEETs rate is now 10.9 percent down from 11.2 percent. This Government is on track. We've made a great start but there's still much to do and we're more than willing to get on with the job.Jamie Strange: What else did the excellent Minister discuss on Newshub Nation about—SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member just lost his question.Hon Paula Bennett: What is the current number of NEETs?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: The NEETs figure is down to 72 percent.