The unemployment rate rose to 4.2 per cent in the September 2019 quarter, up from 3.9 per cent last quarter, Stats NZ says. The rise in the unemployment rate comes after a drop to an 11-year low in the June 2019 quarter. Annually, public sector wage inflation was 3 per cent, and private sector wage inflation was 2.3 per cent. But private sector wage growth also hit a 10-year high of 2.3 per cent. "The unemployment rate may still be very low, but we think this overstates the tightness of the labour market."

Source: Otago Daily Times November 05, 2019 22:18 UTC