Out of work, but back into it

Lynette Gubb is not surprised most Irwin people found jobs. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

Redundancy can be traumatic, but it can also be a chance to start again. That is the theme of a week-long Herald series starting today on people who have been made redundant but found a way out - sometimes after startling uses of new jobhunting technology as well as traditional face-to-face networking. Even in tough times there are opportunities. This series aims to highlight them.

Just over half the workers laid off in one of New Zealand's biggest redundancies this year have found new jobs despite the world recession.

A Weekend Herald investigation tracing the 105 people laid off by the Irwin saw factory at Wellsford in April found that 54 out of the 98 who could be traced have started new jobs.

Forty-three are not working for more than a few hours a week. One is dead, and seven could not be traced.

The result matches National Distribution Union studies, which have found that most workers laid off at a Feltex carpet factory in Feilding last year, and at Lane Walker Rudkin's Christchurch textiles plant in May, have found new jobs.

Union president Robert Reid said only three of the 81 Feilding workers ended up on the dole and one on the domestic purposes benefit.

Jack Taylor, a Lane Walker Rudkin worker who has a six-month contract to help the 102 redundant Christchurch LWR workers find jobs, said 40 workers had found fulltime work and 30 had found part-time work of between 14 and 29 hours a week so far. Only nine were on the dole.

Mr Reid said reports from the closure of a Fletchers particleboard factory in Kumeu in July suggested that most of the 41 workers laid off there had also found new jobs.

He said the studies found employers preferred to take on workers who had just been made redundant, often after many years of reliable service, rather than people on benefits.

"So it's often those people who can pick up the few jobs that are around, but it still increases unemployment because it slows down the more long-term people moving off the benefit."

But he said the results also reflected the first signs of economic revival.

For example, the Summit woollen mill in Oamaru had moved off a Government-subsidised nine-day fortnight earlier than planned and resumed full production.

"We have noticed a turnaround. As the columnists say, whether that is just a dead cat bounce or something deeper we don't know, but there has definitely been a turnaround."

Mr Taylor said more employers had approached him with jobs for ex-LWR workers in the past two weeks.

Some smaller firms, manufacturing places ... have been ringing me recruiting for staff," he said.

The Herald investigation has found that 45 of the 105 people laid off at Irwin have found new jobs between Whangarei and Auckland and have stayed in the Rodney/Kaipara area.

Only four have moved elsewhere in New Zealand for work, and five have gone to Australia. Two others went to Australia but did not find work and came home.

Lynette Gubb, who led the house union at Irwin and is now doing a computer course, said she was not surprised most people had found jobs.

"All the people who worked at Irwins wanted to work. They didn't have that 'can't be bothered' attitude.

"If it hadn't been for the economic climate, I'm sure the figure would have been higher."

As might be expected in a rural area, 11 people have found primary industry jobs.

Seventeen have found manufacturing jobs and two infrastructure work.

The other 21 whose jobs are known are in services such as retailing, hotels, fast food, trucking and carpet-laying. .

One former manager has started a childcare business which will soon have three branches and 18 staff.

Of the 43 who have not found work, nine are doing courses, mainly on computers, and nine have opted to do other things such as retirement or fulltime parenting.

Five have been sick or on accident compensation.

Twenty are looking for jobs, but many have not taken the dole because they believe they will get work soon.

IRWIN LAYOFFS

Employed
* Whangarei to North Shore: 45
* Rest of NZ: 4
* Australia: 5
* Total in work: 54

Unemployed
* Looking for work: 20
* On courses: 9
* Retired, childminding, etc: 9
* Sick or ACC: 5
* Total not working: 43
* Dead: 1
* Can't be traced: 7