Employment

Talk of increased business confidence is not yet playing out in the real world, SEEK says.

Beneficiaries face an uphill battle to find a job, with few openings available and sanctions making things more difficult, an advocate says.

Missed appointments and failing to prepare for work have contributed to 14,409 sanctions being issued in the past three months.

It could be months or even years before the full impact of the Smithfield closure becomes clear, a community advocate says.

Hundreds of people have found themselves out of work today, after Alliance announced the closing of the country's oldest meatworks.

What are the rules for a voluntary redundancy offer, and what do staff need to know?

Workers at the plant in Timaru have been told it will close by the end of December.

And why a tax cut for people under 35 wouldn't fix a system one economist calls a "Ponzi scheme".

South Canterbury man Ray Bowman did not muck around when he learned that he - like hundreds others at Smithfield - was facing probable redundancy.

In a memo to all staff, the transport operator said the move was part of an attempt to reshape its business.

Young people on the benefit say they're barely surviving as they struggle to find work - while dealing with threat of losing their only source of income. Audio

MediaWorks says it will look to redeploy any staff facing redundancy to other areas of its radio business.