While there are signs of light at the end of the economic tunnel, the job market is likely to remain tough for a little while yet. 

The unemployment rate has risen to 4.8%. 

It's lower than expected as more people are leaving the labour force, many opting for retraining or retirement instead. 

Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking unemployment is likely to keep rising, as it always lags behind other economic indicators. 

She says it may not go reach the level some of the more pessimistic outlooks have predicted. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

While there are signs of light at the end of the economic tunnel, the job market is likely to remain tough for a little while yet.&nbsp;
The unemployment rate has risen to 4.8%.&nbsp;
It's lower than expected as more people are leaving the labour force, many opting for retraining or retirement instead.&nbsp;
Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking unemployment is likely to keep rising, as it always lags behind other economic indicators.&nbsp;
She says it may not go reach the level some of the more pessimistic outlooks have predicted.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.

Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.

The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more.

The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show. Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda. The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more. The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.

Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.

The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion,...

The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Nicola Willis: Finance Minister on the unemployment rate rising to 4.8%

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/f4bd455e-edfe-49a1-a5cf-b220013d367f/transcript

Donald Trump's new administration is taking shape. 

Among a rush of names of Trump appointees and likely Trump aides, there seem to be signs of some headwinds for the President Elect. 

Senator Marco Rubio has been proposed as the Secretary of State, former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has been nominated as the Ambassador to Israel, and Florida congressman Mike Waltz has been confirmed as the next national security advisor.  

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that cabinet selections are voted on by the Senate, but instead Trump wants to make the selection while the Senate is shut down at the start of next year. 

He says that Trump would be using recess appointments which don’t require Senate approval, running the show unilaterally.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

Donald Trump's new administration is taking shape.&nbsp;
Among a rush of names of Trump appointees and likely Trump aides, there seem to be signs of some headwinds for the President Elect.&nbsp;
Senator Marco Rubio has been proposed as the Secretary of State, former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has been nominated as the Ambassador to Israel, and Florida congressman Mike Waltz has been confirmed as the next national security advisor. &nbsp;
US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that cabinet selections are voted on by the Senate, but instead Trump wants to make the selection while the Senate is shut down at the start of next year.&nbsp;
He says that Trump would be using recess appointments which don’t require Senate approval, running the show unilaterally. &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Richard Arnold: US Correspondent on Donald Trump's administration beginning to take shape

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/6282c184-76dd-4f8a-bdc0-b226017433e4/transcript

I've got an EV car question for you. 

But first, the latest EV news. 

Nissan are laying off thousands of workers, Toyota says the California regulations are unworkable, Trump has arrived, tariffs are an issue and he is anti-EV, and in Britain they are discounting EVs by a third because of rules that make manufacturers sell a certain number of EVs, and if you don’t sell that many you are fined. 

Sales here are dire. Sales of petrol cars for the past month are up. Last month was the second best month of the year, apart from EVs, which sold next to none. 

So, to the question - what are they going to do? 

Under normal market circumstances a product lives and dies on demand. 

Demands can waver and prices are adjusted accordingly, models are updated, and marketing is refreshed to fizz up demand or awareness. But ultimately, if something doesn’t have a customer base it dies. 

EVs don’t appear to have a customer base. They did, to a degree, when Government's subsidised them, but that I suspect simply gave early adopters a cheaper ride. 

It's not like you can't get a good deal now, but even with a cheap price they still don’t sell. People, in bulk, simply don’t want them. 

What's made this unique is the manufacturers have been forced into producing something, I suspect, they knew wouldn’t work. 

They would have been way quicker to bail on a failed product if they hadn't had Government's lecturing them, hectoring them, and changing the laws and forcing them into a business that looks like it's going nowhere fast. 

So the question is, just what needs to be done to either increase sales or kill off the whole idea and come back another day? 

You can't force people into something they don’t want and the lack of sales show this to be true. 

Are they going to ban regular cars? No. 

Are they going to subsidise them forever? No. 

Are jobs going to be lost, bottom lines going to bleed red and factories close because of all this? Yes. 

So, who blinks first? The ideologues, or the realists? 

I've got an EV car question for you.&nbsp;
But first, the latest EV news.&nbsp;
Nissan are laying off thousands of workers, Toyota says the California regulations are unworkable, Trump has arrived, tariffs are an issue and he is anti-EV, and in Britain they are discounting EVs by a third because of rules that make manufacturers sell a certain number of EVs, and if you don’t sell that many you are fined.&nbsp;
Sales here are dire. Sales of petrol cars for the past month are up. Last month was the second best month of the year, apart from EVs, which sold next to none.&nbsp;
So, to the question - what are they going to do?&nbsp;
Under normal market circumstances a product lives and dies on demand.&nbsp;
Demands can waver and prices are adjusted accordingly, models are updated, and marketing is refreshed to fizz up demand or awareness. But ultimately, if something doesn’t have a customer base it dies.&nbsp;
EVs don’t appear to have a customer base. They did, to a degree, when Government's subsidised them, but that I suspect simply gave early adopters a cheaper ride.&nbsp;
It's not like you can't get a good deal now, but even with a cheap price they still don’t sell. People, in bulk, simply don’t want them.&nbsp;
What's made this unique is the manufacturers have been forced into producing something, I suspect, they knew wouldn’t work.&nbsp;
They would have been way quicker to bail on a failed product if they hadn't had Government's lecturing them, hectoring them, and changing the laws and forcing them into a business that looks like it's going nowhere fast.&nbsp;
So the question is, just what needs to be done to either increase sales or kill off the whole idea and come back another day?&nbsp;
You can't force people into something they don’t want and the lack of sales show this to be true.&nbsp;
Are they going to ban regular cars? No.&nbsp;
Are they going to subsidise them forever? No.&nbsp;
Are jobs going to be lost, bottom lines going to bleed red and factories close because of all this? Yes.&nbsp;
So, who blinks first? The ideologues, or the realists?&nbsp;

Mike's Minute: What are we going to do about EVs?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/3ba81b7a-1310-4bd0-b10c-b22601647daf/transcript

A step forward in energy production, with a Wellington company hitting a significant milestone. 

The capital's OpenStar Technologies says it's created and confined plasma, allowing them to now spark fusion reactions. 

It comes as New Zealand grapples with significant supply challenges in the energy market.

Ratu Mataira is behind the development. 

He told Mike Hosking that if they're able to scale it up, it could revolutionise the energy market. 

Mataira says they're now back in the race and could beat other competitors to be the first to crack fusion energy. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

A step forward in energy production, with a Wellington company hitting a significant milestone.&nbsp;
The capital's OpenStar Technologies says it's created and confined plasma, allowing them to now spark fusion reactions.&nbsp;
It comes as New Zealand grapples with significant supply challenges in the energy market.
Ratu Mataira is behind the development.&nbsp;
He told Mike Hosking that if they're able to scale it up, it could revolutionise the energy market.&nbsp;
Mataira says they're now back in the race and could beat other competitors to be the first to crack fusion energy.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Ratu Mataira: OpenStar Technologies CEO on the company's step towards producing fusion energy

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/4bfc6163-930c-4f23-8f19-b22601568519/transcript

Nicola Willis: Finance Minister on the unemployment rate rising to 4.8%

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