Nine To Noon for Thursday 4 November 2021

 

 

09:05 The great worker crunch: unemployment hits record low

Businesses across all sectors are seriously struggling to find staff and fill job vacancies, and latest unemployment statistics out yesterday paint the stark reality. The jobless rate dropped to 3.4% from 4% in the second quarter, the lowest rate since the start of the Global Economic Crisis in 2008. All sectors are experiencing the worker crunch - including construction, agribusinesses, healthcare, retail, hospitality and technology. And with borders closed and migrant worker inflows slowed to a trickle, employers are competing to attract staff. Kathryn discusses the situation with independent economist Tony Alexander and Director of South Island firm Platinum Recruitment, Dean Delaney.

09:30 Self-rehab for stroke patients significantly improves outcomes

A new study has found that self-rehabilitation after a stroke could make a significant difference to recovery outcomes for patients. Dr Harry McNaughton has been leading the research for the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, which involves a talking therapy programme called Take Charge. It encourages people recovering from a stroke to focus on what, and who, is most important to them in order to best plan their own rehabilitation. If the programme was implemented across New Zealand, it's estimated that an additional 600 people would be independent 12 months after their stroke for basic activities like walking, showering, and dressing. As a low cost solution it's also expected to save the health system upwards of $9 million each year. The findings of the study have recently been published in the international journal, Clinical Rehabilitation. Kathryn speaks to the MRINZ Stroke Rehabilitation Research director, Dr Harry McNaughton. 

09:45 Concern for Queen's health, French-UK fishing debacle, Kenyan murder

UK correspondent Matthew Parris joins Kathryn to look at how Conservative MP Owen Paterson has avoided punishment for using his position to benefit two companies he worked for. He'll also discuss the message from the Queen to world leaders at COP26 in Glasgow, amid concerns about why she has not attended in person. The French president has backed down over a row about new checks on British lorries and fishing boats after the UK threatened to sue the European Union. And British soldiers could be questioned over the alleged murder of a Kenyan woman in 2012, after an investigation into her killing was reopened.

10:05 Fred Pearce A Trillion Trees

The first major deal of the COP26 climate summit was a pledge to end and reverse deforestation by 2030. Kathryn speaks with highly acclaimed and award-winning British science journalist Fred Pearce, who has written about environmental issues and climate change for 40 years; not least about how forests have been cut and burnt at a rate many are approaching a tipping point, where they can no longer thrive, also threatening their ability to moderate global warming. But Fred Pearce is an optimist.  His book A Trillion Trees - How We Can Reforest Our World offers hope. If we had a trillion more trees, he says, the damage could be undone. Fred Pearce writes the two things essential to restoring the worlds' forests is ensuring ownership is vested in the people who live in them, and giving nature room to grow. Fred Pearce has been New Scientist's environmental consultant since 1992, and contributes to the Guardian and the Washington Post.

10:35 Book review: Three Summers by Margarita Liberaki

Jenna Todd of Time Out Bookstore reviews Three Summers by Margarita Liberaki, published by Penguin

10:45 The Reading

States of the Union, by David Hill.    

11:05 What is the metaverse? And why is Facebook rebranding?

Technology commentator Mark Pesce joins Kathryn to talk about Mark Zuckerberg's announcement last week that Facebook would rebrand to Meta, to focus the direction of the company on the metaverse. Mark will explain what the metaverse is, something he knows quite a bit about as the founder of one of the first virtual reality companies. He'll look at the single biggest change that's led to a decline in Facebook's revenue, and maybe forcing a change of direction on the company.

Mark Pesce is an author, researcher, engineer, futurist and teacher.

11:25 Solving sibling rivalry and toxic relationships

Sometimes siblings develop longstanding relationships which are antagonistic and aggressive, and which can have a significant negative impact on the children involved, not to mention the whole household. Joseph Dreissen suggests ways to solve sibling rivalry and restore family peace.
 

11:45 NZIFF offerings, The Harder They Fall, Dopesick

Film and TV reviewer James Croot joins Kathryn to look at what's on offer at the New Zealand International Film Festival, new Western The Harder They Fall starring Idris Elba (Netflix) and new series Dopesick (Disney+), which looks at America's opioid crisis and the drug company that helped fuel it.

Music played in this show

Track: Bananas in the Mist
Artist: Pluto
Broadcast time: 10:33

 

Track: Music Is My Radar
Artist: Blur
Broadcast time: 11:25