NZ jobless rate falls near 8-year low as participation dips; employment drops

NZ jobless rate falls near 8-year low as participation dips; employment drops
Paul McBeth
By Paul McBeth Aug. 2 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand's jobless rate fell near an eight-year low as participation dwindled, while at the same time employment fell. The kiwi dollar dropped on the figures.  The unemployment rate slipped to 4.8 percent in the three months ended June 30, the lowest since December 2008, and down from 4.9 percent in March, Statistics New Zealand said in its household labour force survey. However, the participation rate shrank to 70 percent from 70.6 percent in March as more people left the labour force at the same...