Labour Associate Ethnic Affairs spokespersons Raymond Huo and Rajen Prasad are urging Ethnic Affairs Minister Pansy Wong to speak out forcefully on the rising ethnic unemployment rate before even more ethnic people are forced on the dole.

“With the Asian unemployment rate hitting 9.2 percent, the Minister for Ethnic Affairs must take immediate action to advocate within government to help jobless Asian people,” Raymond Huo said. “Asian unemployment in New Zealand is now higher than the national average with 21,200 Asian people without jobs.”

Rajen Prasad said that even before the latest appalling rise in unemployment ethnic groups and migrants were experiencing significant discrimination. “They are expected to have New Zealand experience which is ludicrous. Many are under-employed or are in jobs for which they are over qualified.

“Yesterday’s figures make employment prospects for our ethnic communities even more difficult,” Rajen Prasad said.

Raymond Huo said the unprecedented rise in Asian unemployment rates is hurting Asian families across the country who are struggling to make ends meet following the recession. “I feel sorry for families who were told before Christmas the recession was over, but who now find unemployment rates worse than ever.

“The feeling in the Asian community is that Pansy Wong is failing to convey the concerns of ethnic communities to the Government,” Raymond Huo said. “She should be playing a leading and dynamic role in tackling spiralling jobless rates and supporting low-paid earners.”

Rajen Prasad said the Government had an additional role in respect of ethnic unemployment. “As well as needing to do much more generally to create jobs, it also needs to focus specifically on ethnic employment by doing all it can to get employers to stop discriminating against this sector.

“Ethnic communities provide an excellent resource for workers with a great work ethic,” Rajen Prasad said.

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