Unemployment fell in the last three months of 2011 - but the hours worked also fell and the employment rate stayed the same.
Unemployment fell from 6.6% of the workforce to 6.3%, and the number of people unemployed fell by 7000, according to Statistics New Zealand's quarterly household labour force survey this morning.
However, the number of people employed rose by 3000, while the rate of employment stayed the same, at 63.9%.
"We saw a steady employment rate because the increase in the number of people employed kept pace with the growing working-age population," said industry and labour statistics manager Diane Ramsay.
"The employment rate has not changed for three consecutive quarters."
Some industries are suffering big drops in employment. Retail, accommodation and food services reported a 20.6% fall in employment - mostly in the latter two parts of that group, Construction, too, has been shedding jobs, with a 13.4% or 4000 drop.
Comments and questions
SOme people are still on 3 or 4 day weeks
Where are the real figures not ones that are jacked up to make the government figures look good to show the economy is growing.
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