NZ unemployment rate eases to 4.2% in March quarter

NZ unemployment rate eases to 4.2% in March quarter
Rebecca Howard
By Rebecca Howard May 1 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand’s unemployment rate nudged lower while annual wage inflation ticked slightly higher, largely on the back of several collective agreements including the nurses’ agreement last August. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 4.2 percent in the three months ended March. 31, from 4.3 percent in the December quarter, Stats NZ said in its household labour force survey. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had tipped the unemployment rate to fall to 4.2 percent. The central bank had a...