NZ manufacturing activity slows in February as employment drops

NZ manufacturing activity slows in February as employment drops
Sophie Boot
By Sophie Boot March 11 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand manufacturing activity slowed in February, with employment dropping to its lowest level in two-and-a-half years. The BNZ-BusinessNZ performance of manufacturing index fell to a seasonally adjusted 56 last month from 58 in January, snapping two months of growth acceleration. New Zealand's manufacturing sector has been expanding since October 2012, where a reading of 50 separates expansion from contraction. "Sure, it slowed a couple of points, but it remains firmly in the mid-50s zone...