November 01, 2017
Jobless numbers down as workforce grows
The number of Maori jobless has dropped below 10 percent, but the rate is still more than twice the overall rate.
Statistics New Zealand says the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent in the September quarter, down from 4.8 percent in the June quarter.
That’s the lowest unemployment rate since the December 2008 quarter, when it was 4.4 percent.
The unemployment rate for Maori was 9.9 percent, down from 10.6 percent a year ago.
The participation rate increased to 71.1 percent, as 54,000 more people entered the labour force.
Labour market and household statistics senior manager Diane Ramsay says that’s the highest labour force participation rate on record and is in line with strong quarterly working-age population growth and near record-high annual net migration.
More than half the annual growth in employment came from those aged 25 to 39, with Asian, Maori, and Other (comprised largely of people self-identifying as New Zealanders) ethnicities contributing most strongly to annual employment growth.
The number of people working professional, scientific, technical, administrative, and support services such as architects and engineer increased up 34,400 or 12 percent, there was a 9.9 percent increase in construction workers and a 9.1 percent increase in public administration and safety jobs.
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