Indian Newslink 15th Sept 2016 Digital Edition

SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
Employment-Poverty paradox
continues to baffle
Danielle van Dalen
In New Zealand’s poverty debate,
work is often touted as
the silver bullet solution, the
one thing that will solve all
of our problems.
“Get everyone able into work
and we’ll be ok,” so the policy
story goes.
But the story is more complicated.
Work matters, but it
isn’t the be-all-and-end-all of
solutions.
Employment is, of course, a
very good thing. Lack of employment
has been identified as
one of the leading risk factors of
poverty and conversely, one of
the strongest protective factors.
Government focus
This is why in recent years the
government has been particularly
focused on getting people
off benefits and, hopefully, into
work. While it’s one of the closest
things to a silver bullet we
have—there is no hard and fast
rule.
Lack of employment will not
automatically result in poverty,
and employment will not necessarily
prevent someone from becoming
homeless. We need to
acknowledge the existence of inwork
poverty, a daily reality for
many New Zealanders.
Traditionally, it is those relying
on the social welfare system
that come to mind when we
think of New Zealanders struggling
to get by. However, an
OECD report claimed that “on
average 7% of individuals living
in households with at least one
worker are poor in the OECD
area.”
For poor children in New
Zealand, that number is around
40%. Recent findings from
Otago University also support
this, suggesting that half of New
Zealand’s homeless adults are
either working or studying.
Astonishing.
Ends don’t meet
It is important that unemployed
people remain a major
focus in the efforts to help New
Zealanders living in poverty.
We cannot, however, ignore
the people struggling to get
enough hours of work for a sufficient
pay packet; we must not
forget the sole-parent families
where low paid, full-time work
just is not enough to make sure
the kids aren’t going to school
hungry; and we should remember
that the cost of childcare
might erase any advantage fulltime
employment brings a single
mum.
When the stories are this complicated
a simple solution will
not provide the answer. More
jobs do not necessarily mean
better jobs. Higher minimum
wages might reduce in-work
poverty but also increase out-ofwork
poverty. More elaborate
solutions are necessary if we are
serious about the workless poor.
Flexible employment
The Government should continue
to focus on getting people
into work.
However, this does not mean
minimising of those people in
work who are struggling to get
by. We need a deeper understanding
of what happens when
people move off benefits and
into work, what type of work
they are moving into, whether it
is stable or sufficient, and begin
to find useful support structures
for them.
A good place to start could include
a flexible employment
structure that does not disadvantage
single parents for moving
into work, and support
structures that assist people into
sustainable employment.
Just getting people into work
is enough.
The work must be sustainable
and reliable, because it genuinely
matters that families have
enough to belong and participate
in society.
Danielle van Dalen is a Researcher
at Maxim Institute
based in Auckland.
BUSINESSLINK
Airport promotes Islamic
Awareness
Staff Reporter
info@indiannewslink.co.nz
Auckland Airport
marked ‘Islamic
Awareness Week’
last month.
Many organisations
throughout the country
supported the programme
held from August 22 to
August 27, 2016.
Auckland Airport General
Manager (People & Safety)
Anna Cassels-Brown said
that her organisation was
proud of the role it plays
in bringing people together
and is building strong
relationships with international
and local Muslim
communities.
“Countries with large
Muslim populations like
Indonesia, Malaysia and the
Middle East are important
emerging markets for New
Zealand. We are welcoming
increasing numbers of
business and leisure travellers
from these countries
through our airport. We are
also continuing to diversify
our team to meet the needs
of these and other customers,”
she said.
She said that Auckland
Airport is also building local
relationships with
Zayed College for Girls and
Al-Madinah School, two institutions
located close to
the Airport.
“We were delighted
to award Auckland
Airport 50th Anniversary
Scholarships to four teachers
from Zayed College to
support their professional
development,” she said.
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