Employment

A beauty therapist who was sacked after being told her pregnancy would be "disgusting and repulsive'' to clients has been awarded thousands of dollars in compensation for unfair dismissal.

The Job Agency in Queenstown says it is being inundated with employment seekers, as summer crowds flock to the resort.

Clouds of gloom are hanging over employment prospects for 2012 with employment confidence levels falling to its lowest level since mid-2009.

Southern employers do not seem to be faced with employees stacking up accrued leave as much as their counterparts in the north.

Employment and wages data will be the focus this week, coming as it does so soon after the National Party outlined its workplace policies for the election on November 26.

Business advocacy group BusinessNZ has welcomed the Government's focus on youth employment in its employment relations policy announced yesterday but says more needs to be done.

Employment confidence in Otago and Southland fell in the three months to September, but Southland remains in positive territory.

One of the largest problems employers face is finding employees with enough relevant skills, Otago-Southland Employers Association chief executive John Scandrett says.

An uproar from the Opposition greeted Prime Minister John Key's policy announcement that 16 and 17-year-olds would receive stricter monitoring if they were on a benefit. Labour and the Greens say young people need jobs, not welfare reform. In a two-part series, business editor Dene Mackenzie investigates where the jobs will come from and who will pay.

Employment indicators released today point to a slightly improving job market, with Canterbury leading the way as it recovers from February's destructive earthquake.