New Zealand has worlds lowest unemployment rate

New Zealand has such a low rate at present that entire industries are unable to grow.

One major political party has advocated mothers putting their kids into subsidised creches so they can go back to work, for the good of the nation.

One city even advertised in England for people to come and work there. Roading construction in the biggest city Auckland is expected to lead to laboring shortages for the next 20 years. To find workers they are thinking of getting entire pacific island countires to come and work in the construction industry. (no joke)

In agriculture, crops have had to be plowed back into the land (asparagus in particular) as not enough people were found to harvest them, and tourists were encourages to earn some money whilst visiting by helping to pick fruit.

Its a stunning turn around, the Situations Vacant in the papers is now huge.

stuff.co.nz...

Unemployment figures due out on Friday are expected by some economists to hit a low of 3.5 per cent. That would be a better rate than the present record-holder, South Korea, and the best of any developed country.

Unemployment is at present 3.8 per cent, the lowest rate since late 1985. New Zealand is already far better than Australia, which has a rate of 5.7 per cent.

Staff recruitment is becoming harder, according to recent business opinion surveys. Economists say if companies keep hiring as the surveys suggest, job numbers could continue to grow for the next six months.

"Unemployment could threaten 3 per cent," Bank of New Zealand economists say.

Labour cost index figures out today are expected to show mild wage inflation of 2.2 per cent in the past year. Another set of figures, the quarterly employment survey, is expected to show private sector ordinary-time hourly wages to be up slightly to 3.7 per cent in the past year.

[edit on 7-2-2005 by Netchicken]

Not bad for a nation with 74.1 million sheep, of which 4.1 million think they are people!

I wonder whether the expat Kiwis who once frequented this site would be interested in this *bump*.

Do you look like either of the guys in the Speights ads, NC?

Interesting,
I was born and bred in NZ,
Live in Australia now, but visit home as often as I can.

NZ seems to me to be the only place really aware of the world.

Not long back Helen Jailed some MOSSAD spies they found with fraudulent papers,

and just recently she told some big shot from Israel to F** O**

NZ Being so far way, and out of the world spotlight, in the coming years and conflicts that are coming, i think returning home would be the smartest thing to do.
Who would attack or invade NZ?

And on a final note, there are more sheep in Aus than in NZ : )

Now I know where to move to get a better job!

If Unemployment is so low why dose the government go on about skill shortages? or is it what I suspect the government is lying about the skill shortages in order to make money off people going thou the education system.
Im all for the free market econmy but I question the need for interest on student loans why place a burden on the countries future?
The government makes enough money from our taxs.

Originally posted by GlobalDisorder


And on a final note, there are more sheep in Aus than in NZ : )

That might be the case but proportionally, you have way more sheep. A lot more.

I think N.Z. has such a low unemployement rate because ALOT of them move to Australia.
I've heard there are more N.Zers in Australia than in New Zealand itself.
Don't get me wrong, Im not sour on it at all. Ive have many many NZ friends and my Uncle/aunt/cousin live on the north island.
Tis a beautiful place. So clean and green and the air is so crisp.
Its also very tourist friendly, moreso than Australia I feel.

All this NZ talk has made me home sick! : (

According to the latest official datas, no:
Thailand has an official unemployent ratio of 2.2%. Source
South Korea has an official unemployment ratio of 3.4%.Source
Anyway it's an outstanding result nonetheless.

Good for them.With the rate of unemployment at all time low,less crimes would be committed and more people would be able to live happily.

Keep the job up,NZ!

Sounds lke new zealand should import germans.
On second though maybe thats not such a good idea NZ needs workers, you know people who actully work at work.

To clarify its of members of the OECD .. not mentioned in the first article...
stuff.co.nz...

The unemployment rate tumbled to a 20-year low of 3.6 per cent in the December quarter, according to Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) today.

The rate was 3.8 per cent in the September quarter. SNZ said New Zealand now had the lowest rate in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) club of rich nations, overtaking South Korea.

The figure is the lowest since SNZ began compiling the Household Labour Force Survey 18 years ago. However, New Zealand Institute of Economic Research data going back 50 years shows the rate is the lowest since September 1985.

The low unemployment rate was fuelled by strong jobs growth – up 1.6 per cent in the quarter. That is the strongest job growth in any quarter since the series was calculated.

Originally posted by Kakugo
According to the latest official datas, no:
Thailand has an official unemployent ratio of 2.2%. Source
South Korea has an official unemployment ratio of 3.4%.Source
Anyway it's an outstanding result nonetheless.

Originally posted by scatter
I've heard there are more N.Zers in Australia than in New Zealand itself.

You have been misinformed. The population of New Zealand climbed* over 4 million last year. The number of non-resident New Zealanders in addition to that number is less than 1 million. I don't know how many of them live in Bondi or on the Gold Coast or Perth. Occasionally there are event decent ones to be found in Christchurch.



* You meant climbed over 4 million, not claimed, MA - you dipstick.

[edit on 10-2-2005 by MaskedAvatar]

I don't thnk aussies have anything to crow about ....

www.theaustralian.news.com.au...

MORE Australians left our shores to live overseas than ever last year, many of them skilled workers, including more than 1900 teachers and 800 nurses. Official figures released yesterday showed a record 59,078 people departed Australia permanently during 2003/4.
.....
The Department of Immigration report also reveals that New Zealanders who have been living in Australia for many years are the largest group of people going home, accounting for 23.6 per cent of departures, followed by the UK-born (15.4 per cent). Asian-born and Europe-born accounted for around 36.5 and 10.3 per cent of overseas-born departures, respectively.