Business woes turn from staff shortages to weak sales

Business spirits remain damp in Auckland. (Image: NZME)

Tue, 04 Jul 2023

Business confidence remains very weak across New Zealand, although there are widespread signs that inflation pressures are easing, particularly in the labour market.After a prolonged period where finding workers was their biggest problem, businesses are now reporting their toughest issue is soft sales, according to the June NZ Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) quarterly survey of business opinion (QSBO), published on Tuesday morning.Weakness was especially marked in the retail and manufacturing sectors and while construction sector sentime...

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