Employment

The Department of Internal Affairs plans more jobs cuts too, but critics say staff are now overloaded and it will affect the Crown's relationship with Māori.

A senior police officer sexually harrassed a female officer, but an internal investigation process was flawed, the independent police conduct authority has concluded.

The loss of 600 jobs in Timaru is hitting the local economy hard, with retailers seeing a big drop in sales, sparking fears that more shops will close. Audio

One teenager told First Up he was rejected for an entry-level role at a fast food chain because the employer received 600 applications. Audio

Puro chief executive Sank Macfarlane said it is a natural partnership that supports the local community.

Those on JobSeeker can be hundreds of dollars in the red each week, new research shows.

By letting students spend a whole day each week working on vocational projects and electives, Papakura High School has started to see big improvements in student attendance and engagement.

Debate is growing about whether the Reserve Bank should make a massive cut to the official cash rate next month.

Nearly 400,000 people are on some form of benefit - almost the same proportion of the population as after the Global Financial Crisis.

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.