WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand’s jobless rate rose to 4.6% in the second quarter while employment increased 0.4% from the prior quarter, data released by Statistics New Zealand on Wednesday showed.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a 4.7% unemployment rate and a 0.2% contraction in employment.
The job participation rate was 71.7% in the second-quarter. The result was slightly higher than economists’ forecast of 71.3%.
Statistics New Zealand data showed second-quarter seasonally adjusted private sector wages rose 0.8% versus the same period a year earlier. Wages were up 3.6% on the prior quarter.
(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Chris Reese)
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