NZ employment confidence dims in December quarter amid falling commodity prices

NZ employment confidence dims in December quarter amid falling commodity prices
By Paul McBeth Jan. 19 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealanders were more downcast about their job and earnings prospects in the December quarter as falling commodity prices weighed on rural economies and seeped into the cities, according to the Westpac McDermott Miller employment confidence survey. The index fell 4.9 points to 106.5 in the December quarter, with present conditions largely unchanged at 102.2, but employment expectations sliding 7.9 points to 109.4. A reading above 100 indicates more optimists outweigh pessimists. The decline snapp...