Jobless total 'played down'

The Government is being accused of playing down the number of young unemployed people, which Labour describes as "a ticking timebomb".

Youth affairs spokeswoman Jacinda Ardern said yesterday Social Development Minister Paula Bennett was using her ministry's preliminary results that showed about 7000 people aged 16 and 17 were not in any sort of programme or training.

"That is just the tip of the iceberg. Research indicates that the number of young people outside of any work or study is actually 10 times that number," she said. "The Government needs to treat this issue seriously, and fast."