tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post8152204553109734202..comments2024-03-28T09:22:36.967+13:00Comments on Offsetting Behaviour: Worse than I'd thoughtEric Cramptonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-78373103017011479342010-04-23T15:03:53.274+12:002010-04-23T15:03:53.274+12:00going back and redifing to put "" around...going back and redifing to put "" around care.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-86380267516048456052010-04-23T08:01:16.927+12:002010-04-23T08:01:16.927+12:00not to mention it doesn't hurt that they poten...not to mention it doesn't hurt that they potentially encourage unemployed people to vote democratic because they are the only ones that care.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-76357079541181871502010-04-22T14:31:31.580+12:002010-04-22T14:31:31.580+12:00What the hell is wrong with some people? Surely yo...What the hell is wrong with some people? Surely young people working productively is a good thing. When did it suddenly become undesirable for youth to get a job? <br />*shakes head and sighs*<br />Keep up the good work Eric, one day hopefully sanity will prevail.Latsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-57022607142322906072010-04-22T14:19:49.264+12:002010-04-22T14:19:49.264+12:00@Lats: Of course I view it as a cost. But a lot o...@Lats: Of course I view it as a cost. But a lot of chatter on other blogs went along the lines of "Those kids would just take jobs that family men should be getting" or "Good; getting a part time job is too tempting for kids who should be spending their time training anyway."<br /><br />Bennett's statement sounds an awful lot like "and so we don't really mind if youth unemployment is high because it encourages kids to go into training rather than take low wage jobs". Of course, the US research says this is a bad move, and the history of the minimum wage is troubling.Eric Cramptonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-52322453016202119012010-04-22T13:55:01.712+12:002010-04-22T13:55:01.712+12:00@Eric. No, you are not crazy. Your interpretation ...@Eric. No, you are not crazy. Your interpretation is the only way of reading Bennett's statement.Seamus Hoganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06752338906486087395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-33411326408587933572010-04-22T13:00:37.230+12:002010-04-22T13:00:37.230+12:00OK, you're crazy, and you are reading too much...OK, you're crazy, and you are reading too much into David Bennett's statement. <br />Seriously though, of course youth unemployment is a cost. Encouraging youth into education is a good idea, but I don't think that is the motivation for hiking up the minimum wage. And the reality is that for some young people further education isn't the answer. Many would be better served by trade apprenticeships and the like, where lower income is offset by on-the-job training and work experience.<br />It is another one of those issues where I applaud the intent of a minimum wage, but not the outcome. Also, I think fears of cheap immigrant labour driving down pay rates are exaggerated. In Marlborough, for example, there are a number of immigrant families working in the vineyards doing seasonal work. This type of work was traditionally performed by "mobile" workers and by students. Some locals complain about the "foreigners" taking jobs from "kiwis", but in my opinion many young kiwis choose not to work in these sorts of jobs, and that comments of this type are founded more on bigotry than on genuine concern for young NZ'ers. I think a reasonable lower cap on income rates ought to be slightly above the unemployment benefit to encourage those that can to get off welfare. Having no minimum wage, or setting it below the dole, provides little incentive for unemployed to change their situation.<br />I spent a bit of time working on youth rates(holiday jobs while at uni mostly) and firmly believe that had youth rates not applied I would have found it much harder to find employment. Surely it is worth starting on a slightly lower income in order to get your foot in the door...Latsnoreply@blogger.com