43192 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister for Social Development and Employment

43192 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: In the Minister’s departments, ministries and agencies, if any, how many employees, if any, are set to lose their roles and are economists, between 27 November 2023 and 10 July 2024?

Hon Louise Upston: I am advised by the Ministry of Social Development (the Ministry) that the total numbers and demographics for employees that may be made redundant will not be known until they complete their current change processes. I can confirm that the Ministry undertook an initial Voluntary Redundancy process in which applications for 218 employees were approved. I refer the member to the response to WPQ 9031 (2024) which provides the demographics for these employees. As part of the Ministry’s current change processes a further 32 employees have chosen to take voluntary severance which has been approved by the Ministry up to 10 July 2024. Due to the small numbers the Ministry is unable to release the demographic information at this time due to privacy concerns. The Ministry has advised that there are no employees that had an economist position title, that have been approved voluntary redundancy or severance and one employee who was a health and safety professional based on their position title was approved voluntary redundancy.   This also my response to written parliamentary questions 43188 (2024), 42584 (2024), 42591 (2024), and 42597 (2024).