Increased immigration has created the first rise in unemployment in almost two years.
The Household Labour Force Survey released yesterday recorded an unemployment level of 5.4 per cent (up 0.2 per cent) in the quarter ended December last year. Over the year there was a decrease of 0.2 per cent.
There
was an increase in the working age population of 0.5 per cent (14,400 people), with a net gain of 9200 from permanent migration.
The increase in available workers also led to an increase in those working.
The employment level has been increasing for the past six quarters. Seasonally adjusted employment was estimated at 1.84 million, up 16,000 (0.9 per cent).
An estimated 1.42 million were in fulltime work, up 15,000 or 1.1 per cent. Part-time employment decreased by 1000 (0.2 per cent) to 421,000.
- NZPA
