Labour market at a glance
- New Zealand’s labour force grows 1.5 percent, the largest quarterly growth since December 2004.
- Employment growth exceeds population growth over the quarter.
- The unemployment rate increased to 5.7 percent, from a revised rate of 5.4 percent last quarter.
- Wage inflation remains subdued.
| Employment at a glance (seasonally adjusted) |
Mar 2016
quarter
|
Quarterly
change |
Annual
change |
| (000) |
Percent |
| Working-age population |
3,685 |
+0.8 |
+2.5 |
| Employed |
2,399 |
+1.2 |
+2.0 |
| Unemployed |
144 |
+7.4 |
-0.3 |
| Filled jobs |
1,871 |
+1.2 |
+2.2 |
|
Percent |
Percentage points |
| Employment rate |
65.1 |
+0.2 |
-0.3 |
| Unemployment rate |
5.7 |
+0.3 |
-0.1 |
| Labour force participation rate |
69.0 |
+0.5 |
-0.4 |
| Wages at a glance |
Level |
Percent |
| Wage inflation (salary and wage rates, including overtime) |
All sectors
|
1123 |
+0.4 |
+1.6 |
|
Private sector
|
1129 |
+0.4 |
+1.8 |
|
Public sector
|
1107 |
+0.4 |
+1.4 |
| LCI analytical unadjusted |
1219 |
+0.6 |
+2.9 |
| Average ordinary time hourly earnings |
$29.47 |
+0.3 |
+2.4 |
| Hours at a glance (figures seasonally adjusted) |
Level |
Percent |
| Average weekly paid hours for FTEs (QES) |
Ordinary time |
37.62 |
-0.6 |
-0.1 |
|
Total
|
38.32 |
-0.8 |
-0.4 |
| Total weekly paid hours (QES) |
57.4 (million) |
+0.5 |
+2.3 |
| Total actual weekly hours worked (HLFS) |
80.1 (million) |
+1.0 |
+2.5 |
Liz MacPherson, Government Statistician
ISSN 2422-8699
4 May 2016