Māori unemployment rises to 7.6 per cent, as overall rate slightly up at 3.9 per cent

Māori unemployment has risen to 7.6 per cent in the year to September 30. Photo / 123RF

Māori unemployment has risen to 7.6 per cent in the year to September 30, up 1.2 percentage points.

And Pasifika unemployment has risen to 6.6 per cent, up 0.6 of a percentage point.

They contrast with the overall unemployment rate, which rose to 3.9 per cent in the year to Sept 30, from 3.6 per cent.

That follows a hard year, with rising interest rates and cost of living.

The employment rate fell to 69.1 per cent from a high of 69.8 per cent last quarter.

Labour market summary - Māori. Photo / Stats NZ

Māori employment rose marginally by .3 of a percentage point to 65.1 per cent, and Pasifika employment rose 0.6 points to 6.6 per cent compared with the country’s overall employment rate of 69.1 per cent, which fell from a high of 69.8 in the last quarter.

Stats NZ’s latest figures showed that of the Māori labour force of 441,900 (up 16,800), 408,2000 were employed (up 10,200) and 33,000 unemployed (up 6500) in the last quarter.

Labour market summary - Pasifika. Photo / Stats NZ

Of the Pasifika labour force of 192,600, (up 7100), 180,000 were employed (up 5600) and 12,600 unemployed (up 1500).

In the latest quarter, average ordinary time hourly earnings, measured by the quarterly survey of employment increased to $40.40, which was up 6.7 per cent year on year.

Wage growth measured by the labour cost index (LCI) including overtime increased 4.3 per cent in the year.